Readers' Stories
Do you have a related true story you would like to share? Cornel’s incredible story was almost lost, and stories like his need to be shared. Did you have a similar escape to freedom story? We’ll post many of these stories to the Beyond the Book section of the website. Learn how to submit your experience- click here |
Readers tell their story/reflections
Romanians who lived in the country prior to 1990
Romanians who live(d) in the country after 1990
Individuals who lived in other communist countries
Romanians who lived in the country prior to 1990
Comments from Marian Petruţa Born in '77 and lived in Romania until 2001
For years Romanians dreamed that the Americans will come to rescue us from the communists. Most of them died waiting, while serving tens of years in hard labor prison camps. Others were hiding in the mountains and many died fighting the communists and Securitate. What is great about the book is the fact that this story is written in English so many more people can read what life was like during communism. Cornel's story is not unique, many people like him tried to escape the same way he did, but not many were successful. Most of them died or got killed by the Securitate. What is great is the fact that because of your book, his story is not lost or forgotten and it will live for generation to come.
Here are some of my thoughts about stories in the book:
-the comic moment when the kids in school were happy when were told they no longer have to say prayers or study scriptures;
If Cornel had witnessed the end of religion in schools I had had the privilege, 40 years later as a young student in the 1990's to see the religion introduced back in the school curriculum; I grew up in a village, and I remember some of us having problems with the teachers because on Sundays we were attending church and not some of the communist cultural activities.
- kids are introduced to communism by first becoming pioneers;
I remember becoming one in my 3rd or 4th grade and how we were required to learn all the songs about the communism and how great the president was; what is more surprising to me if I think about it is how serious and devoted some people were to implement the propaganda rules.
-communist propaganda machine used in films portraying a happy life under the new regime ;
Yes, I remember how the 2 or 3 hours of TV program we had each day 7- 10 pm, and few more hours on weekends, 90%of it was about how great life was under the communism when we all knew and experienced the opposite; just the fact the we had one TV channel and few hours of broadcasting full of propaganda was a big lie in itself.
- one of the biggest lie "everyone will work the same and split equally in the harvest "
I lived the end of the communist era and what I remember is that everyone was stealing from their work place and shortages were everywhere; I remember that our family of four were entitled to get two loafs of bread, 1/2 for each member of the family; same story for sugar and oil, or any basic food; oh I forgot, we had no white bread, only in the city you could get it but on coupons only and rationalized; I remember that in the village people were forced to buy expired food from the store to sell the stock otherwise they couldn't get the basic food. I remember the smelly fish we had to buy in order to be able to get oil and sugar. I also remember the fact that villagers were forced to give their quota of eggs, or live stock. I remember like in your book how the local authorities were visiting every home to count how many chickens, pigs, cows etc everyone had. People couldn't sacrifice a young cattle because they had to give it to the state. Sometimes even the tax collectors became corrupt and people were spiting the meat when they sacrificed some animals from the farm. Talking about shortages, I remember how dark the streets were, there was no lights. We had shortages of power. Sometimes my father used to bring his big truck close to the window and we took electricity from the car's battery.
Simona Scarlatis – Born in Romania in 1975 and immigrated to U.S. in 2005
I've heard stories of people escaping the totalitarian regime but I (and I think many people of my generation) did not know the details about how the people before my time lived and how they had to give up their rights and belongings/property and bear all the abominations committed by the communists after they took power. I was born in the already deprived society and thought that's how things have to be, although I heard my parents talking sometimes about "secret" things that should not have been discussed outside the house. They also used to listen to Romanian radio channels broadcasting from Germany and America. I was 14 when the revolution came.
Cornel's struggle and determination to accomplish his goal were so inspiring and his desire for survival and freedom was enlightening. I think he definitely had a guardian angel who watched over him.
Romanians who live(d) in the country after 1990
No submissions.
Individuals who lived in other communist countries
No submissions.