Emanuela – a Cold War Romanian Childhood

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Emanuela lived in a small two-bedroom flat and tells of her parents working in a factory while her grandparents looked after her.

Her father listened secretly to Radio Free Europe and collected stamps so he could legitimately write to people in the West.

Her parents told her not to talk at school about what was said at home and to be very careful what she said to friends.

Emanuela vividly recalls the day the revolution started in 1989, Emanuela was at home alone and she described the instant atmosphere of change and the weeks and months after. 

Romanian youth magazine where Emanuela's "poem" to Nicolae Ceaușescu appeared.

The page where Emanuela's "poem" to Nicolae Ceaușescu appeared

Emanuela's "poem" to Nicolae Ceaușescu

Emanuela and her grandparents in front of the house in which they lived

Emanuela with her mother in front of typically socialis-building

Emanuela with some kids in her class--only those who got the best grades--at the end of her 7th grade (June or July 1988). It was the end of the school celebration, so they were all dressed in pioneer uniforms. You will notice that three of the kids, including her, are wearing flower crowns. This is because they graduated with the highest grades, so they got to have the end of the school year prizes. Emanuala says "Just in case you wonder, I have that face in the picture because I was really upset. I still remember that I was really fuming that my crown did not have flowers 🙂 childhood trauma :)"

We also hear about Emanuela’s book, Socialist Heritage: The Politics of Past and Place in Romania which traces the transformation of Bucharest’s Old Town district where under socialism, politicians and professionals used the district’s historic buildings to emphasize the city’s Romanian past and erase its ethnically diverse history.

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