Hello :) Your video may have been online for a couple of years, but I have only just seen it, and I am hugely glad that I have done so. This building has absolutely fascinated me since, as a 13-year-old child, I sat at home in England on Christmas Day 1989 and watched the TV news reports of what was happening in Romania. I was transfixed by it then, and now, 34 years later, I am still fascinated by the Romanian revolution, by the Ceausescus and by Romania as a country. I visited the country for the first time in 2008. I visited Brasov, Bucharest, Sighisoara, Brasov, Sinaia, and Sighet Marmatiei, and fell in love with the country. I did get to see several sites related to the Ceausescus and the Revolution - Piata Palatul and the CCC building & balcony, Palatul Parlamentului, Piata Universitatii, Casa Presei, the outside of Palatul Primaverii, Snagov, etc. but I did not get to visit the inside of Primaverii or the barracks in Targoviste (because neither were open to the public at the time). I am desperate to revisit Romania and to visit these two sites - particularly the barracks. Thank you so, so much for making this video, for capturing so much and for giving such good commentary. It is fascinating. Like you, I would love to explore the rest of that building as well as it's most famous areas. May I ask a few questions? Is there a way to find out when the barracks/museum is open? I live in England, so it would be a very long way to travel and find out that it is closed! Also, you know the footage of Ceausescu getting out of the armoured personnel carrier? Did you see where that was? I have read that the Ceausescus were driven around the barracks' grounds for much of the time they were there, and that's about the only thing that isn't in your video. It would be fascinating to see a video of the route that the Ceausescus took from Bucuresti, when they left in the helicopter, all the way to Targoviste, via Snagov and all the hijacked cars and villages they drove through on the way. Were they not finally captured in an agricultural college somewhere, do I remember? Have you made a video like that, or would you consider one? I would dearly love to see a video that takes the viewer to these locations. Thank you so, so much for all this. I love Romania, and always will.
loved the video..amazing how they have kept the trial room almost exactly as it was with the tables, curtains, etc. wow! Surreal to match the actual video of the trial with what is there today. That's a bucket list destination for sure for anyone interested in that part of the world and that part of history.
I remember this day. I was 9 years old and it was the first Christmas Day in Germany. After lunch my family took a walk in the forest and as we drove home the car radio said that the Romanian dictator Ceausescu has been executed. Since then I'm fascinated of that. Seeing the building where this part of Romanian history has ended, the tables and chairs, the silence in the rooms, the wall where they have been executed, that's very impressive.
Thanks for the comment. Yes it was a fascinating period in world history with so many revolutions and the collapse of the Soviet Union etc. The Ceausescu's played a big part in that history and still a lot said about their execution and who was really behind it. One of the real last dictators but one who many still say did a lot of good for Romania, the fact that he refused to join the USSR was one of them. The site is a very special and solemn one. Its so quiet for a start, you can just stand and picture the events of those few days. The man who had so much power and his wife, now being treated like common people. Vey well preserved and the lady who works there as a curator has amazing knowledge and stories to tell as her husband was in the army as a tank commander during their incarceration and was ordered to stop anybody from entering the town to rescue them. Worth a visit to the place. Thanks for the comment and have a great new year.
Cheers Mate! It's nice that you are interested in Romania's history and I must admit that although I saw the events on TV I never saw the place in real life, nor did I know they kept it so unchanged.
Thanks my friend, appreciate the comment...love the Philippines, haven't been there for many years, but I have a lot of Pilipino friends still. Stay safe 👍
Thanks my friend...have been just helping Ukraine and working and getting over a back injury, but next month big European road trip with a couple of friends across maybe 10 countries, then October off to Georgia, so a lot of content coming. 👍
I don’t understand the love for a man whom literally starved his people to death. I remember reading an exert from a magazine publication in the early 90s about the sins of the son of these two. What the son did to Nadia Comaneci, it was horrible. The son must have learned it from the father. I remember the downfall of the Ceausescu’s and of Communism in Romania in 89. The media in America seemed not to report on the revolution the way they do revolutionaries in the Middle East. Such a beautiful country that I hope to visit someday.
If you ever get over here, drop me a line, happy to be a host and show you around; it is a beautiful country. You will still find many people who demonstrate affection for him and lay flowers at his grave every year on his birthday. Despite his despotism, he paid off the national debt, he refused to be part of the USSR and Romania never was, everyone went to school, most people got a state funded apartment free of charge to live in and initially he was a patriot through and through. So despite riches and the iron rule, many will still say it was better then or we were okay. The saying goes that back then we had money but nothing to buy and now we have plenty to buy but no money. Always an interesting conversation to have with people. Thanks for comment. Stay safe.
@@BitsofEurope Hi, I am Romanian. Ceausescu is the best Romanian president and the best politician ever. We have to assess Ceausescu as a communist, not using other political ideologies. He was devoted to the cause, he preferred to die for that. He tried to ask Gorbagiov about the future of socialism in term of economic terms. Romania was in a diplomatic war with West countries and USA because Ceausescu had good relationship with countries from Middle East and Africa, China.. etc. Romania wanted to set up a world bank, an alternative to USA Bank. Please check Professor Corvin Lupu- he wrote books some books about Ceausescu.
Just to have the time period right: Ceausescu was in power from 1965, when he was elected General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, and until his downfall and execution in 1989. In all, 24 years. In the meantime he had also assumed the office of President and God knows how many other offices and titles.
I just wanted to add that Romania was the only country where communism didn't go out peacefully without a revolution, in all the other countries the old regimes had backed down without any resistance while in Romania unfortunately they did not. I don't want to think what would have happened if there weren't any revolution but I imagine it was very unlikely that Romania would remain the only communist country in Europe, isolated like North Korea for example.
Yes mate, sunt de acord. That's why I take an interest because the people sacrificed a lot and I think its important new generations remember that and don't take it for granted. Was a hard and sad and tragic fight for the freedom. I also think that's why most Romanians, especially those in the country, have a special quality and an honest quality, because they have experienced hardships and many still do. You are correct for sure, that all the other former soviet block or communist regime led countries in Europe, pretty much had their independence without bloodshed, I think many benefited from what occurred in Romania after 1989. Nu mai bine.
this is what the propaganda system wants us to hear about the former regime, but tudor jivikov, the important leader of bulgaria, on whom moscow counted quite a lot, when he was killed he was the mayor of sofia
I was wondering what you meant then saw it outside the commandants office. I think someone just used it to mean English translation....limba Română la sus și limba engleza la jos.
Hi, this video is good material for ! I wanted to mention that in the TV Mini Series called "Comrade: The Making, Glory and Unmaking of a Dictator (2023)" they said the bullet holes in the wall where they executed Ceausescu are fake. They said they were made on purpose for an artistic film. What do you think?
Good question. First thing is speaking to the lady who runs the museum, she has been there since 1989 and her husband was also in the Army at the time, a tank commander and he was ordered to secure Targoviste in case loyalists tried to rescue the Ceausescu's. She said the holes are real and she has no reason to lie, she is full of information and to her its a piece of history. Also the place is very well preserved, so you look at old photos and video from the trial and compare to my video and others, or what you see in person, its almost identical. As for outside, I am ex Army and would say those are real bullet holes, sometimes brick crumbles so a smaller bullet can make a larger hole. Some said the holes were too low to be aimed around the chest, well they were both pretty short people and for me the holes are chest height for them. Also if you compare the place where Nicolae's body ended up and during his examination on the ground you can see the stones and their lines clearly and those stones behind him line up with the stones in my video, also same windows, same colour etc. So no doubt about the spot. The only thing not quite correct is the outline of Nicolae's body, he did not fall lying on his side, he fell backward with his knees bent under him and head up against the wall, but I think easier to draw the outline the way it is now. There was a lot more damage to the stone lower down in 89, but I think later all the stone area had some paint or plaster washed over it. So do I think site is authentic and bullet holes real, yes I think so as the rest is 100% accurately preserved and there is no doubt from existing video that the outside location is where the firing squad shot from and at.
Thank you for the comprehensive reply. I am glad you are creating content relevant for Romanians, which are my people. I hope your interaction with Romania is and will continue to be enriching both for you and for the Romanians as well. I have to say I currently live in the US and the more I stay here the more I realise that Eastern Europeans have a lot to learn from the Westerners and vice versa, of course. All the best to you!
There are many people that still share your sentiment. Even those that did not like them as a couple, many say the execution and the way it was carried out was very vicious. Others say it had to be done that way otherwise his loyalists may have prevailed.
Hello :)
Your video may have been online for a couple of years, but I have only just seen it, and I am hugely glad that I have done so.
This building has absolutely fascinated me since, as a 13-year-old child, I sat at home in England on Christmas Day 1989 and watched the TV news reports of what was happening in Romania. I was transfixed by it then, and now, 34 years later, I am still fascinated by the Romanian revolution, by the Ceausescus and by Romania as a country.
I visited the country for the first time in 2008. I visited Brasov, Bucharest, Sighisoara, Brasov, Sinaia, and Sighet Marmatiei, and fell in love with the country. I did get to see several sites related to the Ceausescus and the Revolution - Piata Palatul and the CCC building & balcony, Palatul Parlamentului, Piata Universitatii, Casa Presei, the outside of Palatul Primaverii, Snagov, etc. but I did not get to visit the inside of Primaverii or the barracks in Targoviste (because neither were open to the public at the time).
I am desperate to revisit Romania and to visit these two sites - particularly the barracks. Thank you so, so much for making this video, for capturing so much and for giving such good commentary. It is fascinating. Like you, I would love to explore the rest of that building as well as it's most famous areas.
May I ask a few questions? Is there a way to find out when the barracks/museum is open? I live in England, so it would be a very long way to travel and find out that it is closed! Also, you know the footage of Ceausescu getting out of the armoured personnel carrier? Did you see where that was? I have read that the Ceausescus were driven around the barracks' grounds for much of the time they were there, and that's about the only thing that isn't in your video.
It would be fascinating to see a video of the route that the Ceausescus took from Bucuresti, when they left in the helicopter, all the way to Targoviste, via Snagov and all the hijacked cars and villages they drove through on the way. Were they not finally captured in an agricultural college somewhere, do I remember? Have you made a video like that, or would you consider one? I would dearly love to see a video that takes the viewer to these locations.
Thank you so, so much for all this. I love Romania, and always will.
loved the video..amazing how they have kept the trial room almost exactly as it was with the tables, curtains, etc. wow! Surreal to match the actual video of the trial with what is there today. That's a bucket list destination for sure for anyone interested in that part of the world and that part of history.
I remember this day. I was 9 years old and it was the first Christmas Day in Germany. After lunch my family took a walk in the forest and as we drove home the car radio said that the Romanian dictator Ceausescu has been executed. Since then I'm fascinated of that. Seeing the building where this part of Romanian history has ended, the tables and chairs, the silence in the rooms, the wall where they have been executed, that's very impressive.
Thanks for the comment. Yes it was a fascinating period in world history with so many revolutions and the collapse of the Soviet Union etc. The Ceausescu's played a big part in that history and still a lot said about their execution and who was really behind it. One of the real last dictators but one who many still say did a lot of good for Romania, the fact that he refused to join the USSR was one of them. The site is a very special and solemn one. Its so quiet for a start, you can just stand and picture the events of those few days. The man who had so much power and his wife, now being treated like common people. Vey well preserved and the lady who works there as a curator has amazing knowledge and stories to tell as her husband was in the army as a tank commander during their incarceration and was ordered to stop anybody from entering the town to rescue them. Worth a visit to the place. Thanks for the comment and have a great new year.
Cheers Mate! It's nice that you are interested in Romania's history and I must admit that although I saw the events on TV I never saw the place in real life, nor did I know they kept it so unchanged.
Yes mate its very intact...ty for comment...sanatate.
First time seeing the site.
All the best mate, look forward to another video
Ty my friend as always for your comments mate and ongoing support.
A video that is worth watching.Good luck and God bless always.Warmly greetings from the Philippines....
Thanks my friend, appreciate the comment...love the Philippines, haven't been there for many years, but I have a lot of Pilipino friends still. Stay safe 👍
@@BitsofEurope ,glad to know that you love my country and Filipinos as well.We're certainly hospitable,charming and friendly,too...
...and great food!
@@BitsofEurope I'm about to subscribe your informative UA-cam channel .....keep on posting your vlogs, sir...
Thanks my friend...have been just helping Ukraine and working and getting over a back injury, but next month big European road trip with a couple of friends across maybe 10 countries, then October off to Georgia, so a lot of content coming. 👍
I don’t understand the love for a man whom literally starved his people to death. I remember reading an exert from a magazine publication in the early 90s about the sins of the son of these two. What the son did to Nadia Comaneci, it was horrible. The son must have learned it from the father. I remember the downfall of the Ceausescu’s and of Communism in Romania in 89. The media in America seemed not to report on the revolution the way they do revolutionaries in the Middle East. Such a beautiful country that I hope to visit someday.
If you ever get over here, drop me a line, happy to be a host and show you around; it is a beautiful country. You will still find many people who demonstrate affection for him and lay flowers at his grave every year on his birthday. Despite his despotism, he paid off the national debt, he refused to be part of the USSR and Romania never was, everyone went to school, most people got a state funded apartment free of charge to live in and initially he was a patriot through and through. So despite riches and the iron rule, many will still say it was better then or we were okay. The saying goes that back then we had money but nothing to buy and now we have plenty to buy but no money. Always an interesting conversation to have with people. Thanks for comment. Stay safe.
@@BitsofEurope Hi, I am Romanian. Ceausescu is the best Romanian president and the best politician ever. We have to assess Ceausescu as a communist, not using other political ideologies. He was devoted to the cause, he preferred to die for that. He tried to ask Gorbagiov about the future of socialism in term of economic terms. Romania was in a diplomatic war with West countries and USA because Ceausescu had good relationship with countries from Middle East and Africa, China.. etc. Romania wanted to set up a world bank, an alternative to USA Bank. Please check Professor Corvin Lupu- he wrote books some books about Ceausescu.
👍👍👍
Just to have the time period right: Ceausescu was in power from 1965, when he was elected General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, and until his downfall and execution in 1989. In all, 24 years. In the meantime he had also assumed the office of President and God knows how many other offices and titles.
I just wanted to add that Romania was the only country where communism didn't go out peacefully without a revolution, in all the other countries the old regimes had backed down without any resistance while in Romania unfortunately they did not. I don't want to think what would have happened if there weren't any revolution but I imagine it was very unlikely that Romania would remain the only communist country in Europe, isolated like North Korea for example.
Yes mate, sunt de acord. That's why I take an interest because the people sacrificed a lot and I think its important new generations remember that and don't take it for granted. Was a hard and sad and tragic fight for the freedom. I also think that's why most Romanians, especially those in the country, have a special quality and an honest quality, because they have experienced hardships and many still do. You are correct for sure, that all the other former soviet block or communist regime led countries in Europe, pretty much had their independence without bloodshed, I think many benefited from what occurred in Romania after 1989. Nu mai bine.
We are still ruled by communists in disguised and allot of people have regrets for the old regime.
this is what the propaganda system wants us to hear about the former regime, but tudor jivikov, the important leader of bulgaria, on whom moscow counted quite a lot, when he was killed he was the mayor of sofia
How much is to visit?
Its free to get in. There is simply a small donation box at the front counter if you want to leave a donation.
@BitsofEurope Thank you!
Why is there british flag next to romanian ?
I was wondering what you meant then saw it outside the commandants office. I think someone just used it to mean English translation....limba Română la sus și limba engleza la jos.
Hi, this video is good material for !
I wanted to mention that in the TV Mini Series called "Comrade: The Making, Glory and Unmaking of a Dictator (2023)" they said the bullet holes in the wall where they executed Ceausescu are fake. They said they were made on purpose for an artistic film.
What do you think?
Good question. First thing is speaking to the lady who runs the museum, she has been there since 1989 and her husband was also in the Army at the time, a tank commander and he was ordered to secure Targoviste in case loyalists tried to rescue the Ceausescu's. She said the holes are real and she has no reason to lie, she is full of information and to her its a piece of history. Also the place is very well preserved, so you look at old photos and video from the trial and compare to my video and others, or what you see in person, its almost identical. As for outside, I am ex Army and would say those are real bullet holes, sometimes brick crumbles so a smaller bullet can make a larger hole. Some said the holes were too low to be aimed around the chest, well they were both pretty short people and for me the holes are chest height for them. Also if you compare the place where Nicolae's body ended up and during his examination on the ground you can see the stones and their lines clearly and those stones behind him line up with the stones in my video, also same windows, same colour etc. So no doubt about the spot. The only thing not quite correct is the outline of Nicolae's body, he did not fall lying on his side, he fell backward with his knees bent under him and head up against the wall, but I think easier to draw the outline the way it is now. There was a lot more damage to the stone lower down in 89, but I think later all the stone area had some paint or plaster washed over it. So do I think site is authentic and bullet holes real, yes I think so as the rest is 100% accurately preserved and there is no doubt from existing video that the outside location is where the firing squad shot from and at.
Thank you for the comprehensive reply. I am glad you are creating content relevant for Romanians, which are my people. I hope your interaction with Romania is and will continue to be enriching both for you and for the Romanians as well.
I have to say I currently live in the US and the more I stay here the more I realise that Eastern Europeans have a lot to learn from the Westerners and vice versa, of course. All the best to you!
Multumesc mult! Its my home now and not going anywhere. Love it here.
R.I.P
There are many people that still share your sentiment. Even those that did not like them as a couple, many say the execution and the way it was carried out was very vicious. Others say it had to be done that way otherwise his loyalists may have prevailed.