Childhood Memories of the 1989 Romanian Revolution (403)

Cold War Conversations Podcast

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Traian grew up in Romania during the tumultuous 1980s under the shadow of the communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu. We learn about the harsh realities of life under communism, where shortages of basic goods were commonplace. He shares the clever tactics he and his family employed to navigate these challenges, including trading items with tourists and listening to forbidden radio stations like Radio Free Europe for music and news. These experiences shaped his understanding of the world outside Romania, igniting a desire for freedom and change. The narrative takes a dramatic turn as the Romanian revolution unfolds in December 1989. Traian recounts the fear and uncertainty that gripped the nation as protests erupted, leading to the eventual overthrow of Ceaușescu. He vividly describes his school trip during this pivotal moment and the surreal experience of returning home to a city forever changed by the events of those days. Further info and videos⁠ https://coldwarconversations.com/episode403/⁠ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:05.9	And there were a lot of people over there on the hills with their cars.
0:11.1	And outside on top of the car, they used to put a small black and white TV.
0:16.7	I used to watch the World Cup from Mexico over there with the Hungarian television
0:23.1	because they used to broadcast all these events.
0:28.1	This is Cold War Conversation.
0:31.5	Thanks to financial supporter Greg Whitehead for providing this week's introduction.
0:36.2	If you're new here, you've come to the right
0:38.4	place to listen to first-hand Cold War history accounts. Do make sure you follow us in your
0:43.3	podcast app so you don't miss future episodes. Triand grew up in Romania during the tumultuous
0:50.0	1980s under the shadow of the communist regime led by Nikolai Chaochescu. We learn about the harsh
0:56.4	realities of life under communism where shortages of basic goods were commonplace. The narrative
1:01.7	takes a dramatic turn as the Romanian revolution unfolds in December 1989, where Triane
1:08.6	recounts the fear and uncertainty that gripped the nation as protests erupted
1:13.1	leading to the eventual overthrow of Nikolai Chalcchescu.
1:17.3	I'm delighted to welcome Trian to our Cold War conversation.
1:22.4	I was born in 1974 in Kluge, Romania. Kluge is situated in a region called Transylvania. And I have an older
1:33.8	brother. He was born in 1967. And my immediate family were my parents and my brother.
1:40.8	And what did your parents do for a living? My parents came from a rural
1:47.5	area close to the city. They got married very young. They were 20 or 21. And they came to
1:54.7	plush. There was a lot of people from the rural area. They were invited to come to the cities for a new life, a new modern life.
2:05.5	My parents were one of those.
	...

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