Surveillance and shortages: A British teacher in 1960s Cold War Communist Romania (377)

Cold War Conversations

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2024

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1967 a young British professor found himself in Bucharest, Romania, under the most intriguing circumstances. Ron Mackay shares his fascinating experiences as he navigated life and teaching in a communist country. When he set foot on Romanian soil, he was met with challenges and intrigue. The stark realities of life under a communist regime painted a picture of a world vastly different from his own. Yet, amidst the restrictions, he found beauty in the Romanian culture, architecture, and the resilience of its people. Despite the oppressive environment, his students were eager to learn and engage, offering him a glimpse into their lives and aspirations. The lack of resources and the ever-present surveillance added complexity to his teaching experience. The episode also explores his adventures beyond the classroom, from navigating the bustling streets of Bucharest to travelling through the picturesque Romanian countryside, his encounters with locals, fellow expatriates, and even a mysterious British engineer. Buy the book here and support CWC https://amzn.to/3Om8kZt Related episodes: Cold War, Warm Hearts - Hitchhiking behind the 1960s Iron Curtain https://pod.fo/e/2098ae A Childhood under the eye of the Secret Police https://pod.fo/e/a4730 My life laid bare through secret police files https://pod.fo/e/12e45f A Hungarian childhood in Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/1190aa Escaping from Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/11ad63 Emanuela - a Cold War Romanian Childhood https://pod.fo/e/f0376 Reporting the 1989 Romanian Revolution https://pod.fo/e/1ea8c Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode377/ 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 0:00:01 Teaching in Cold War Romania 0:04:30 Cultural Exchange Mission in Romania 0:12:07 First Impressions of Bucharest 0:25:43 Living Under Surveillance in Romania 0:42:14 Interactions in Rural Romania 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.
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0:36.4	Several months later, she actually admitted to me that she had been engaged by Securitate to be my informer.
0:49.3	This is Cold War Conversations. If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to
0:55.7	first-hand Cold War history accounts. Do make sure you follow us in your podcast app so that you
1:02.5	don't miss out on future episodes. In 1967, a young British professor found himself in
1:09.3	Bucharest, Romania under the most intriguing circumstances.
1:13.8	Ron Mackay shares his fascinating experiences as he navigated life and teaching in a communist country.
1:20.6	From the moment he set foot on Romanian soil, he was met with both challenges and intrigue.
1:26.0	Yet amidst the restrictions, he found beauty in the Romanian culture, architecture and the
1:30.8	resilience of its people.
1:32.7	Despite the oppressive environment, his students were eager to learn and engage, offering
1:36.9	him a glimpse into their lives and aspirations.
1:40.2	The episode also explores his adventures beyond the classroom, from navigating the bustling streets
1:45.0	of Bucharest to travelling through picturesque Romanian countryside, his encounters with locals,
	...

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