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Wednesday, 15 August 2012


Part 1: 
Architecture during Ceausescu’s rule revolved around demolition and rebuilding, rather than renovation.

Alcohol – No information found.

Power/Electricity – Electricity was rationed, so that more power could be supplied to large industry. Families had an allowance on 20kwh per month, and anything over that usage was taxed in exorbitant amounts. Blackouts occurred daily for sometimes 1 or 2 hours a day.

Doctor/Girl Student:
Helicopters were used for surveillance and also, Ceausescu fled via helicopter.

Helicopters did, in fact, drop pamphlets on the crowds asking them not to fall for diversions from the government, instead urging them to “go home and enjoy the Christmas feast”

Part 2:
Student 1 & 2:
Here are the lyrics for “Wake Up, Romanian.”

Wake up, Romanian from the sleep of death,
You've been sunken in by the barbarian tyrants!
Now or never, it's time to sew yourself a destiny,
All your enemies should adore!

Now or never, we have to demonstrate the world
that in our hands still flows Romanian blood
and we keep proudly one name in our breasts,
the glorious name of Traian!

Marvelous shadows, Mihai, Stefan, Corvine,
look at your successors - the Romanian nation!
With armed arms, with your fire in their veins,
they all shout: "Living in freedom, or death!".

Priests with the crucifix on their foreheads
a Christian army,
The motto is freedom and its aim is sacred.
We rather fall in fight, with unflawed glory
Than being slaves again on our own ancient place.


People infiltrated the People’s Palace and tossed propaganda books out of the windows, so this is historically accurate.

Girl Student:
A makeshift armband was often the only mark of allegiance to the revolution.

Securitate:
Poisoned water was part of the widespread paranoia following the instability caused by the Revolution.

Ceausescu instituted an austerity program in 1981 in order to help Romania pay off its national debt. As a result of this program, many basic needs such as heating, gas and food were rationed. My interpretation is that milk was one of the rationed items, and the champagne is purely celebratory.

Student 1:
It is a chant, closer to how it would sound in Spanish: Olé! In Spanish, it is considered a celebratory cheer.

Painter:
December 22 – Probably confrontations between revolutionaries and Ceausescu supporters. I can find no indication of terrorism.

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