The Last Days of Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu

In the peaceful town of Targovişte, 50 miles north of Bucharest, we visited the Museum of Communism, formerly a military garrison. This is where Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, spent their last days. Ceausescu was president of Romania from 1974 until his execution in 1989 and leader of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965.

The monument in front of the Museum (first image) is that of Dan Al II cel Viteaz, a five-time Voivode (governor) of Wallachia. His reign ended in 1432 after he was defeated by the Ottomans. He was succeeded by the son of Mircea cel Bătrin, grandfather of Vlad Tepes the Impaler (also Vlad Dracul III) whose life may have been an inspiration for the stories about the blood thirsty Dracula. The Voivodes of Wallachia took up residence in the princely court of Targovişte, the reason I was in the vicinity. Please read my post about the life and times of Vlad Tepes here: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2023/12/the-curious-life-and-times-of-vlad.html

On December 17, 1989, an anti government demonstration broke out in Timisoara, a city northwest of Bucharest. Security forces fired upon the demonstrators following the order of Ceausescu. The demonstrations and rioting grew eastward to Bucharest and the rest of the country. The army defected to the demonstrators’ side on December 22, 1989. Ceausescu tried to escape with his wife but was stopped short when their helicopter dropped them off in Targovişte where they were arrested and brought to the military garrison.

Here are the cots where the couple slept until their trial. It was unthinkable for the Ceausescus to live in such conditions considering their luxurious mansion. You’ll understand the change in the couple’s fortune when you visit the Ceausescu Mansion which is open to the public. It is located at Bulevardul Primaverii nr. 50 in Bucharest.

The is where they ate using the garrison’s metal plates and cups.

Their guard slept in the same room with them on this cot.

This is their heater.

The sign indicates the hours when the heater was turned on: 17:00 to 20:00 hours (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.).

This is the room in the garrison where the Ceausescus had their medical exam taken before their trial.

This is the room where Ceausescu was tried for genocide and crimes against the people of Romania by a military tribunal on December 25, 1989. The couple sat on the two chairs in the far corner of the room during their brief trial. They were found guilty of the charges and were sentenced to death by firing squad.

This is the back of the building overlooking the courtyard where the Ceausescus were led to face their execution.

That is the wall against which the Ceausescus were positioned. Note the bullet marks on the wall.

The white outlines on the ground show where the couple fell after they were shot. This was not a typical sightseeing tour. It was difficult and hair raising. But there are lessons to be learned here. Nothing is ever permanent and your deeds, good or bad, will catch up with you. Leaders often forget this as they ride the coattails of power and money. But payback is certain and as in the case of the Ceausescus, grim.

The Museum of Communism in Targovişte is temporarily closed for renovations. If you are in the area, the address is Bulevardul Regele Carlo I.

How to get to Targovişte:

Check the various options on rome2rio.com. You can also take private tours which I did through Nicolas Experience Tours: https://experience-tours.ro/

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Images by TravelswithCharie

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