Communist jail
by Eugen Hulub
In August 1986 I had an attempt to cross the border (from Romania) to Yugoslavia. I was caught and arrested, but considering the psychic problems which I had from the army I was released and judged in freedom. To be more explicit, I had been a student
of a military officers' school (specialty: anti -aircraft artillery) and the harsh regime in this school caused me a mental illness, so that, after three years of activity as an officer (lieutenant) I have been passed in reserve as inapt.
However, I was sentenced to 8 months in prison.
In June, 1987, when I was still employed (at Synthetic yarn factory), at noon, two militiamen came to me with arrest warrant, they put me the handcuffs, introduced me in a van, then the van went to the Municipal Militia. I entered the arrest of the militia.
(Militia was equivalent to police in the western countries). It should be noted that: before to be introduced into the arrest room, the offenders were "received" by a militiaman (in a neighboring room).
This moment - of my arresting - was as a shock.
I was very affected (by the arresting), with some fear, with small possibilities to appreciate correctly the situation I was in, without the power to express myself coherently, or to react.
The "reception" was made by a militiaman (a Petty Officer) (NCO = non commissioned officer).
In the room which was neighbor to the Arrest Room - according to the legal procedure, he asked me to undress (to take off my clothes) and to remain only with my sports pants on me. I complied with the militiaman's request (and remained only with my sports pants on me).
Surprising thing: this militiaman (NCO) was - at that time - very humane and very kind. He told me that I will stay in the penitentiary only 3 months, then I will be released. In that deplorable and pitiable state in which I was - his words helped me very much. .
My clothes (except the underpants) were placed on a wooden table, in front of the militiaman (NCO): undershirt, shirt, trousers, thin jacket.
He took out of the pockets of the pants and jacket: the identity card, money, job card, a little notebook, a ball-point pen, a handkerchief, a pack of cigarettes without a filter (named: “Bucegi"). At the same time, he took the belt of my trousers and the shoelaces of my shoes, because (he explained to me) - this is the procedure for any detainee, in any arrest room - such that he not to hang himself (with the belt of the trousers or
with the shoelaces of the shoes).
I dressed myself again. Of the objects on the table I received the pack of cigarettes without a filter.
Another militiaman (guardian) led me to the main detention room, which was quite large, about 10 meters by 10 meters, with overlapping beds, a bed on the ground floor, then (above this):the second, and (above the second): the third one. There were about 20 such columns of three beds each.
In the vicinity of the door was a free space, a rectangle: it was 4 meters long and 3 meters wide. In this free space there was a bucket in which the detainees to urinate. No one was allowed to hold a box of matches. One militiaman (guardian) was coming periodically (every two hours, during the day) and "was giving fire"- for smokers.
He was taking out of his pocket a box of matches, then he was setting fire a match and
he was giving it to a smoker (who was having a cigarette prepared for burning).
He "was not giving fire"- to several detainees, but to only one. Later, he was inserting the box with matches in his pocket, leaving the room and closing the heavy door with a bolt and a padlock. I think almost all of those in the room were smokers. The cigarette was a very important object in the jail and – all the time – without filter (with the names: “Bucegi”, “Carpati”, “Marasesti”).
10 o'clock am was the time for physiological needs (shit, urine). Not far from the arrest room there are 4 WCs. Two militiamen (guardians) arrived ... They release the heavy door from bolt and a padlock. They open the heavy door:
- Go to WCs! You have a quarter of an hour for physiological needs! ... This urge (order) is pronounced with strength, firmness and conviction.
Immediately we run to the sanitary group with the intention to get a place in a toilet (WC). It is very important to integrate yourself with the program of going to the WC.
I specify the fact that I keep in a pocket the pack of “Bucegi” cigarettes (without filter). This is a privilege ...! Now I must find a place in a bed. I started looking for… This is a very difficult mission: nobody wants to give a place (in his bed) to a newcomer. I have some experience from the military life regarding the psychological features of various people. I notice that a young man has great appetite for smoking and I give him 5 cigarettes. Thus I obtain a place in his bed (located at "ground floor"). He was alone in bed before my arrival…
I learned that there are “vagabond convicts” and “penal convicts”. If for “penal convicts” the punishments were pronounced by a Law Court of Justice or by a High Court of Justice – for “vagabond convicts” the punishments were given by Militia (by superior officers). The minimum punishment was: one month in the penitentiary, and the maximum punishment was 6 months in the penitentiary. The reasons of the punishment for "vagabond convicts" were: scandal in the restaurant (or in a block of flats) (or in a village) after the consumption of alcohol in large quantities. The scandal was caused by drunk individuals. Other times the reason for the conviction was: a disrespectful attitude (even minor conflicts) towards the authorities. Last but not least - the cause of the conviction was: many absences from the workplace ("absences without a good reason").
For “penal convicts” there is a great privilege: they could leave the penitentiary earlier than the term stipulated in the sentence pronounced by a Law Court of Justice or by a High Court of Justice.
The reduction of the punishment was possible in conditions of disciplined behavior and a lot of work (daily). This reduction was of maximum one third of the punishment (rarely: half of the punishment). (The word "third" comes from cutting one whole into three equal parts. For example: from a melon cut into three equal parts we get three "thirds")
(The adjective "vagabond" refers, of course, to the time before entering the jail. These "vagabonds" individuals were usually very poor - from a material point of view - but also lazy, and they had no their own homes. Often, in the summer, they were sleeping on the grass, in the park or in the forest. Their clothes - in the penitentiary - were different – as shape and color - from the clothes of the “penal convicts”. However, the "vagabond convicts" were obliged to work (most often in the field of construction and agriculture) - in order to obtain money and food…Their imprisonment was hard ...).
The food (which came three times a day) was very poor and was not tasty. As an overview: some ones were small as the stature, others ones were tall and bulky. The portions were equal. This food was insufficient for each detainee, especially for the bulky ones. Anyway, you had no other possibility than to accept this poor food, to resist - from a physical, but also mental point of view - 6 months, or one year, or 7 years, or (incredibly!) 18 years. In the arrest room of the Militia - the biggest existing punishment was only 2 years and 6 months…A feeling of sadness, regret, even despair overwhelms and dominates me for a few moments.
The first thing which amazed me was this: a prisoner - after smoking three quarters of his cigarette - threw the cigarette end on the room mosaic (in that rectangle which was free space), and three very young "vagabond convicts", almost teenagers, rushed to collect it from the ground, as being a great value. "I must take care of cigarettes ... I must keep cigarettes for future smoking!” (I said to myself). Therefore: I was arrested and brought to the arrest room of the militia on June 15, 1987. Now (after a week) is June 22, 1987. On May 1 (which is my birthday) 1987 I started smoking intensely – because of the permanent psychic pressure on me in connection with the possibility of being convicted… It is an irony of fate that at my age of 30 I adopted tobacco as an ally…
(Until the age of 30 I rarely was smoking, only in restaurants or various occasions. The penal trial - according to article 240 of the Penal Code - was very tormenting, with permanent mental pressure, with the fear that I will get to prison, with the exasperation and despair that nothing can be done to escape from the punishment. The prospect of deprivation of freedom and spending a certain time in prison was like a black nightmare. The word "implacably" was as a thorn in my heart).
In the unfavorable conditions in the arrest room of the county militia (or in jail) any small privilege was extremely important. The struggle for survival supposes, under these conditions, a terrible selfishness, without the smallest concession for others. Some ones were exhausting their mental resources pretty quickly and were tackling the question of suicide with great preoccupation for details and with supreme decision. For the time being, in the arrest room of the county militia there was not the slightest reference to suicide, the most prisoners having punishments under one year. There were jokes and jests which circulated in Romania before June 1987. There is also a lot of reproach and many insults for the communist regime led by Nicolae Ceausescu.
5 years ago, the Romanian Communist Party established that certain institutions (of course, state institutions) to have self -financing and self – administration.
This means that the respective institutions, especially the army (having as central entitling: the “Ministry of National Defense”) and Militia (having as central entitling: the “Ministry of Interior”) to provide with food for themselves from their own resources (in a proportion of 25 %).
In this year 1987 Romania is dominated by hunger and serious lack of food (due to the massive export of food products - for the payment of external debt). Strange thing: Vaslui County, as distinction to all other counties of Romania, has succeeded, through his communist leaders, to get a constant and rich supply with meat and meat products, especially salami and sausages, but also dairy products. Some visitors (coming from Transylvania or other areas of the country) look with wonder at the products displayed in refrigerated windows.
In this spirit the military units (of the army and of the militia) have started a vigorous program for food production: vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, eggs and fish.
All these have "annexed households", more precisely: pig farms, bird farms (chickens, turkeys, etc.), a few milk cows, a pond with phytophagus, orchard with fruit trees and vegetable gardens (with: tomatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, peppers, melons, etc), some ones have greenhouses of vegetables - heated in winter with hot water from the large thermal power plant of Vaslui city. These greenhouses give fresh vegetables in winter…
Most of the food obtained in AH ("annexed households") is consumed by military personnel (officers and noncommissioned officers) and very little is consumed by the soldiers.
As a general appreciation: the annexed household of the county militia is the richest and most complex in the city of Vaslui. The leaders of the militia were very meticulous. As superlatives: it has a farm with 30 pigs, a farm with many hens, turkeys, ducks and geese, etc. The garden with vegetables was from the beginning designed to obtain large productions, having water supply, fence and personnel for the maintenance of crops: hoeing and weeding out, irrigation, activity to harvest, etc.
To be appointed to work in the garden (as a prisoner) is an extremely high privilege. There are "heavy struggles" for this privilege - inside the arrest room, but also outside - when there are "cells", "relationships", "knowledge". (These three words: "cells", "relationships", "knowledge" are the names in the jargon for the people who have important functions in the Romanian Communist Party and "offers" privileges for various "gifts" received from the applicants - with discretion). The envy is very great on the part of everyone for those chosen to work in the garden.
Two prisoners having small stature, but vigorous and sinewy, with powerful muscles and strong tendons, able to face men taller than them, being extremely naughty and impertinent, arrogating to themselves the title: "little gods" of the arrest room - were working at the garden since the morning until the evening.
As two characters in a play - they are sometimes very visible, other times few visible. We refer now to the moment of birthday.
- Tomorrow is my birthday! said one of them. I think I'll get some brandy. I have a pair of thick socks. I will dip them in the brandy... Then I will enter the arrest room here with the socks in a pocket. I will give you to taste few brandy because you are poor and despair.
To not be believed that this was being the usual tone of his voice! Most of the time he was swearing and address very bad words to the other prisoners, he even was threatening them with beating if they were not respecting him as a leader. A damnable, arrogant, uneducated, rude man. The other prisoner resembles exactly to him (he was the very image of him) not only as stature, but also as manner. When the two ones were entering the arrest room there was being an immediate silence - because each of the prisoners was afraid that they could fall prey to one or other of these two individuals. The collective fear was the sum of the fears of everyone present. No one risked to have a conflict with the two ones. To the harsh conditions in this prison - to add a conflict with any of them was almost unbearable.
Nerves “are defeated" for minor reasons, let alone aggression on the part of the two.
Sometimes they were aggressive with ones of the prisoners for no reason, just as a whim…and those who were enduring the aggression were silent, resigned and peaceful, with no hope of revenge. The anger or indignation or displeasure of the two ones was pressing down on them. This situation will have an end after a few days, or a week or a month. In all this time they were enduring with stoicism the discrimination.
It would be a terrible mistake to lose your temper (your balance) and to react against those two with a minimum of nervousness and revolt. Very rarely does this situation exist - the one attacked with words and with a hostile and mocking attitude to respond with indignation and revolt:
- Why are you always harassing me? What's your problem with me? What do you have against me? What evil have I done to you?... Even more:
- Why do you think you're so great? Do you think you are someone important? Why do you think so?
Then it was following (for the indignant one) a period of discrimination and persecution which was hard for any human being to bear.
What is a “cubic clay”? It is a piece for building a country house, made of clay and parallelepipedal in shape: 30 centimetres long, 20 centimetres wide and 10 centimetres high. Country houses were built only of clay, one method being the planting of vertical poles (clubs) (straight wood between 5 and 10 centimetres in diameter) where the walls will be.
So, some poles (clubs) stuck in the ground, the horizontal distance between two poles (clubs) being approximately 30 centimetres. Between these is put clay thoroughly mixed with straw. The strength of the future walls will be given by these vertical poles (clubs).
When you build the house of cubic clay - there is no need for vertical poles. The pieces of cubic clay are stacked on top of each other - forming the walls of the house. (There is a big difference between bricks and clay parallelepipeds. The bricks are made of fired clay, but black clay parallelepipeds are not fired). The bond between them is made with soft yellow clay (i.e. clay mixed with water). After a few days the yellow clay becomes hard.
The strength of the walls resulting from the building of the black cubic clay is lower than that of the walls built around the vertical poles (made of black clay mixed with straw).
(We may use the expression "dollop clay" instead of "cubic clay").
In the penitentiary (and in the county militia detention rooms), the prisoners receive "boiled corn flour" with a cubic shape. (“mămăligă” = “boiled corn flour”). (In the morning they get a slice of bread and a cup of tea). The traditional name (entered into folklore) of these cubes of “mămăligă” (“boiled corn flour”) is “cubic clay”.
In the arrest room of County militia where I was in - the hunger determined prisoners to eat the entire “cubic clay”. Even more, some ones purchased "cubic clay" for a fee. The cigarettes are the currency of exchange in any transaction. In general, a “cubic clay” is paid with 5 cigarettes.
I don't think I talked (in this room) about my situation, anyway - I don't remember if I talked or not. The fact is that very quickly all the prisoners found out that I wanted to cross the border illegally and that I have mental problems. As an overview: each one knows everything about everyone in the room.
A tall fellow, having 1.85 metres as height, stout, with some baldness, but with hair above the ears approaches me and says:
When the guardian will come, you will approach him and you will make big eyes and you will distort your face and you will utter: "Uuuu!...Uuuu!...Uuuu!...", then the commander of county militia will send you to the psychiatric hospital as a madman and your penal punishment will be cancelled.
I neither approve nor disapprove him. His idea is not good because the judges do not like the situation: mentally ill as a delinquent. Often they are irritated and nervous when they hear of mental illness and "give" greater punishments than they should give. I had from the psychiatry the diagnosis: "Psychotic mental illness". This diagnosis reveals that the patient is located at the extreme of the staircase of mental illness, i.e. the greatest gravity. Normally judges should not decide any punishment in this case. However I was punished...
Another day: the same tall fellow, stout, with some baldness, but with hair above the ears approaches me and says:
- When we leave the prison we will make a plan to fraudulently cross the border to Yugoslavia. We will steal two horses that run very quickly. We will be riding on our horses very fast during nighttime, we will cross the border strip and we arrive to Yugoslavia. Then we sell the two horses and get money.
Again I do not respond with any reply to what was said by the tall fellow.
The border strip is a tape of 5 meters wide, flat and covered with sand, which stretches along the border between Romania and Yugoslavia.
There is no border strip from Orșova to Turnu Severin because the border with Yugoslavia is marked by the Danube river. From the coast it is not possible to sail to a foreign country because there is a very strict control of all boats sailing in the Black Sea.
On the terrestrial border (which is not marked by the Danube River) the border guard (soldier) is guarding with harshness the border strip because, if there are traces of steps, he will be sentenced to prison.
There is even a <song of the border guard>:
“My God, don’t give anyone
A life like that of the border guard!”
……………………………………………….
"If there are traces of steps on the border strip
Oh, my mother, it is a case of penal trial (and jail).”
Furlough is a soldier's right to go home to his parents for 5 days. Apart from Furlough - the soldier has the right to receive rest leave (15 days).
Often, in some village, we can see border guards (soldiers) drinking wine, then they go on the lane of the village - from one end to another - singing in a loud voice (so that all the villagers to hear):
“My God, don’t give anyone
A life like that of the border guard!”
(Of course, this is about soldiers on rest leave).
Again, the idea of the tall fellow is not good, because near border strip, on the side to Romania (left side), there are some sensors. These detect any unusual movement around them. They are made up of the wire of 50 meters long, having at each end smart sound triggering devices, as well as little bells or ringers. Along the left side of the border strip the most efficient smart devices are installed - on a distance of about 100 kilometers, in the southern part of Timiş county, namely, along the border with Yugoslavia. (Other devices - less efficient - are installed on the rest of the terrestrial border). When a delinquent will touch the wire of the sensor (before to arrive at the border strip) the little bells will ring and will draw the attention of the border guard (soldier). Immediately he will open firing and will shoot any suspected shadow of being a delinquent. He has a total of 120 cartridges (in the machine gun - type AKM - and in the bag with loaders). (A load is a mechanical device in which there are 30 cartridges). (The bag with loaders is made of resistant canvas and is attached to the soldier's leather belt, on the right side of the body). It will be automatic fire, namely: 10 bullets per second will leave the barrel of the machine gun. Often they were killed or wounded some delinquents intending to cross the border (to Yugoslavia). In these cases, the border guard (soldier) had no legal (penal) liability…
The tall fellow was gathering pieces of cubic clay and was putting them in the bosom, namely: under the thin sweater that had the lower part inserted into the pants.
It's evening. The two short men who work in the garden appear. There is silence in the room, those present waiting to see and hear what the two ones will do or say.
One of them finds that it's missing the cubic clay which he left under his pillow this morning. More dumbfounded than nervous, he asks loudly:
- Who did take my cubic clay?
Nobody say something. He repeats the question:
- Who did take my cubic clay? In the morning it was here, and now it is no longer. Who did take my cubic clay?
Not receiving an answer, he begins to search through the room in order to find his cubic clay and to see who has more than one cubic clay. He does not find a suspect (who would have stolen his cubic clay). Finally, he stops in front of the tall fellow.
He sees that the tall fellow is swollen at the front of his body and grabs his sweater to look inside. He sees a lot of pieces of cubic clay:
- Did you think to obtain a cubic clay in addition, you wretch, miserable?
Did you obtain my cubic clay, dear scoundrel? Why did you confiscate my cubic clay?
Then, very angry, he starts punching him in the belly:
- Why did you steal my cubic clay? Why did you steal my cubic clay?
The tall fellow starts to weep, being silent.
- Why didn't you ask for a cubic clay if you are very hungry? Why did you look for a cubic clay under my pillow when I was away?
And suddenly became very nervous because the cubic clay was stolen while he was away at work, hits him harder in the belly. He continues to weep, being more affected by the anger of the aggressor than by the blows received in the belly.
- If you will want again a cubic clay in the future – you should beg me! Do you understand?
The tall fellow nods affirmatively, not being able to speak.
The aggressor goes to his bed, having a face of angry and dissatisfied man.
- If someone else will steal another cubic clay from me, I'll beat him until I will destroy him.
Those in the room followed the scene without reacting in any way ...
In this year 1987 the political, social and economic conditions were bad for the majority of the population in Romania. However, the football was highly appreciated and there were great passions about this sport.
The most valuable football teams are: "Dinamo" Bucharest, which belongs to the Ministry of Interior, with all the militiamen and officers of the communist political police as supporters, "Steaua" Bucharest, representative of the Army, with the majority of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Ministry of National Defense as supporters and "Craiova University", the team of Oltenia, supported by the Oltenian people, but to some extent by the presidential family of Nicolae Ceausescu (discreetly).
("Oltenia" is a province located in the south of Romania, with obvious Latin features - more Latin than the others. In the year 106 AD the territory of the present Romania was conquered by the Roman Empire and Latin language, as well as other ethnic features have decisively changed the physiognomy of the old population. The inhabitants of Oltenia have the name Olteni, or Oltenian People. Nicolae Ceausescu is Oltenian.).
The terrible, long - length rivalry (probably, even since their establishment) was between Steaua and Dinamo. (Steaua was founded in 1947 year, and Dinamo in 1948)…
It is Sunday.The match between Steaua and Dinamo starts at 3pm (15.00h). The stadium is full: about 100 thousand spectators. The fight for victory is fierce. The passions are very large. The spectators sing and emphasize the names of some valuable and important players, or shout, or scream, or roar… The Steaua team will defeat the Dinamo team. Score: 3-1 for Steaua. Score: 3-1 for Steaua. The defeat of Dinamo team produced very much anger, sorrow and annoyance among the supporters of the this team.
It should be mentioned that in 1986, in the summer, the Steaua team won the "European Champions Cup" - the most important European trophy awarded to any football club. The final of this competition was played between the teams FC Barcelona and Steaua (in the town Sevilla of Spain).
The Dinamo team tried to imitate the Steaua team and to win the big trophy. They reached the semi-finals - when they lost the qualifying match for the final…
It should be noted that the large room in which the prisoners were held had a small window, of course, with iron bars.
Some of the families of the prisoners, bolder and more courageous and daring than others – were coming in order to say some words to prisoners, especially to those of their families.
The risk was high for any visitor: if a militiaman saw a person located near the small window, speaking to prisoners - immediately was arresting him and was introducing him into a room for physical torture. (There were militiamen specialized in torture: physical and mental). Two or three militiamen were harsh beating the arrested visitors. In addition, the commander of the county militia behaved like a god.
Sometimes he was in the mood to punish a visitor with imprisonment (as a homeless person) (as vagrant) - between a month and 6 months, most often the punishment (the sentence) was 6 months. He had the right to punish (to imprison) any innocent civilians...
In connection with the beatings suffered by some people in some room of the Municipal Police or in the cellars of the County Police there is the expression: "beating with shouted words".
The syntagma “shouted words" was used for a long time to name popular lyrics said in the village “hora”. (Hora" is the name of a folk dance - which came to Romania from Bulgaria and is the slowest dance. This word also defines the event which happens every Sunday in the center of the village - with many folk dances, music, consumption of wine, joy, merrymaking, sometimes conflicts between young men). (Of course, there were not only the “Hora”, but also other dances: “Serbian Dance”, “Ship Dance”, “Waltz”, “Tango”, etc.). (Most dances were Romanian).
Such “shouted words" were:
“Basil, basil
It must be a change in the middle”!
The “hora” was a big circle formed by the joining of dancers, who are holding their hands each to other - in the case of the “hora”, or with hands fixed (fastened) on the shoulders, one to the other – in the case of “Serbian Dance” (which is quick). (The members of the circle were not bothering [made not inconvenience] each other because they were very good dancers). In the middle of this circle were pairs, each consisting of a man and a woman. Usually, the pairs were formed on mutual affinities. The duration of a dance was between 3 and 5 minutes. Each pair had the right to dance only for a while, then the man left his partner and another man took his place. After another interval of time the woman left the pair and invited another woman (indicated by her partner) to continue the dance etc. Each member of the living circle will have the opportunity to dance with a partner. If a pair stayed longer in the dance than they have the right, some ones on the edge were warning in a loud voice:
“Basil, basil
It must be a change in the middle”!
The “shouted words” were numerous and very diverse, adapted according to the social condition, the physical appearance, the moral appearance, the age, the good habits or the vices, the events of the dancers, etc.
If you were beaten by the militiamen, there were two simple variants: with “shouted words” or without “shouted words”.
So those who were screaming, roaring in pain were labeled to have endured beatings with “shouted words”.
If there were no screams or roaring of pain - it means that the beating was without “shouted words”…
It is not known exactly how, but the prisoners found out about the defeat suffered by the “Dinamo” football team.
At 10 o'clock am (before lunch) the guardian (extremely upset and angry) came in to "give fire" to the smokers. About 4 or 5 detainees began to blame and to gossip the “Steaua” team, with a loud voice so that the guardian to hear:
- The game of the football team "Steaua" is mediocre and is not spectacular. They do not practice a modern football - as the "Dinamo" team. They were very lucky to win the match.
- They don't fight for the victory, but are waiting for occasions to score goals...as alms. They're only waiting for the alms...to score goals.
- Only "Dinamo" plays a real football - in our championship - and sometimes "Universitatea Craiova". “Steaua” is a group of hooligans, without discipline, without tactics in the game.
The guardian has calmed down somewhat after listening to these words…
The same little window would like to air the room (full of thick cigarette smoke). Many of the prisoners smoke also during the night. Every time when a new detainee arrives, it is assaulted with requests for cigarettes. Sometimes the newcomer gives about 2 or 3 cigarettes. No more. Most of the time the requests for cigarettes are treated with categorical refusal.
Most of the detainees talk about departure (from the arrest room of the militia to the penitentiary). There are many arguments in favor of the penitentiary:
larger space, more light and more air, good hygiene, bathroom with many showers, club for watching movies, walking space (in the shape of a circle, with high side walls), somewhat better food than here, the right to receive a parcel with food every month, the right to talk to a family member or friend, the right to send letters, etc.
In this year 1987 the communist dictatorship is approaching to its acme. Nicolae Ceausescu was so greedy for power that no one and nothing could satiate him. He became the leader of the Romanian Communist Party when the former leader (Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej) died (because of a very serious liver disease). Then he eliminated from the pyramid of the power his main political opponents and became the unique and authoritative "Master" on the Communist Party and on the country. In these conditions he worked (however) very much, started and continued for 12 years the industrialization of Romania. His conviction was that a country which has as main branch of production: the agriculture - cannot be strong; only with a ample, efficient and competitive industry Romania can be situated in the world elite. There was a decade of industrialization and spectacular growth of the Romanian economy, together with firm measures to increase the standard of living (the construction of numerous blocks of flats, the rich supply for all Romanians with various foods, even with some imported products, good salaries, jobs for all citizens, stores [shops] well supplied with various products, free tuition and many facilities for eminent pupils and students, opening for the West culture and attractive television programs, etc.), the involvement with big success in the world politics and diplomacy (having an important role in establishing good relationships between the Soviet Union and China, between Israel and the Arab world etc., but also diplomatic relations between Romania and about 100 countries with diverse political regimes), the unprecedented development of Romanian sport etc. etc. All these propelled him in the position of very popular leader and loved by all. In 1980 Romania had an external debt of 10 billion US dollars, and the International Monetary Fund demanded the payment of this debt. At that moment Nicolae Ceausescu imposed drastic conditions on the economy of Romania - in the sense of exporting a lot of products, especially foods. These conditions have generated: hunger, cold in winter, diseases, dissatisfaction, fear and insecurity, low standard of living - unacceptable for any human being. Thus began the incredible and terrible communist dictatorship of Ceausescu.
(With reference to the years 1965-1979 - when there was no communist dictatorship)
Nicolae Ceausescu was preoccupied with "the formation” of the new man, a conscious builder of communism. In this sense: he organized and carried out a Congress of Socialist Culture and Education. This congress elaborated political and propaganda documents. He wanted all the persons in Romania to work with their own will and own conscience - without urge or obligation from various state or party institutions. On this occasion he discovered a deficiency in the ethical structure of the socialist society: he had a big dilemma when it arose the problem of the way of addressing between the prisoners and those at liberty. Is it correct and normal to say "comrade" to a delinquent?
We will not say “comrades” to some “delinquents”… Someone from those close to him proposed as an address formula: "citizen!". Nicolae Ceausescu agreed to this proposal.
Thus, the word "citizen" was adopted as an address formula: between a prisoner and a guardian, between a guardian and a prisoner, between two prisoners. The word "comrade" is forbidden - in penitentiaries and in Detention Rooms of Militia.
===================
Finally, the armored truck (lorry) of the penitentiary arrives. A long, stately and imposing truck, painstakingly built and with a sense of responsibility, destined to keep and transport some of the most dangerous prisoners. The steel walls isolate the personnel inside from all sides, making an absolutely impenetrable box: to the side, in front, behind, down and up. There is no connection with the outside except a window fitted with thick iron bars. The door behind this "box" has a closing system consisting of an internal latch, an external latch and a lock with a key. The prisoners are introduced into the premises through this door with handcuffs on their hands. On the side walls there are some thick links used to lock the chains from the feet of the most dangerous prisoners. Other iron links are used to connect with the handcuffs of prisoners (those who only have handcuffs on their hands). This is an additional measure of precaution against any escape attempt. There are two long wooden benches. On these benches are placed (one next to another) various delinquents (who are now forced to
endure the rigors of the law): thieves, rapists, brawlers, authors of embezzlement, a homosexual, a speculator, someone who illegally crossed the border between Romania and Yugoslavia, and one who usurped official qualities, i.e. pretended to be a prosecutor. At the door-facing ends of the benches are the specially arranged compartments for the two guardians, who are equipped with machine guns and are ready to shoot (to fire) if anyone tries to escape. No chance! Handcuffs, chains, armored walls, alarm system, machine guns and the watchful eyes of the two guardians (militiamen). There is a space next to the window where two "happy" prisoners look at the outside landscape: they can see what is happening outside, they can follow with their eyes, like in the cinema, the entire route from the Militia to the penitentiary. Every tree, every house, every car, every person have importance for the two viewers watching from the window. They will have what to tell when they will arrive at the penitentiary, they will know how to show off their fresh knowledge, they will even brag to others. The route is not long: after leaving the city we go on the road: Vaslui - Crasna, then, after one kilometer, turning to the left on a paved road, among orchards and pastures. At the end of the road is the penitentiary: a somewhat new building, with two rows of high stone fences (a high outer fence, built of concrete and another concrete fence, located 5 meters away towards the interior, parallel to the outer fence), with solid metal gates and alarm systems. At the entrance, near the metal gate, a sentry is posted. The whole construction is in the shape of a square. Probably: the side of this square is 100 meters. In the four corners of the square there are four pavilions (watchtowers) in which there are four other sentinels, each equipped with infantry
weapons, corded (landline) phone and binoculars. In the middle part is the courtyard - paved with a thick and resistant layer of concrete on the entire surface. This is visible from the windows of some detention cells. There is a pavilion building for men and another for women. (Each pavilion building has small or big detention cells). The exterior fence has a large metal gate, and the inner fence has a smaller metal gate...
There is much precaution and attention when we go out from the armored truck (lorry). We have no longer handcuffs on our hands. Crossing through the two gates involves a real ritual:
“attach (stick) you face on the wall!”, "change you position and attach (stick) your back on the wall!", “go to the left position!”, “go to the right position!”, “lie down on the ground!”, “crawl on the ground!”, "Stand up straight!", “lie down on the ground!”, “crawl on the ground!”, "Stand up straight!", "Go in column - one by one!",etc.
We are inside the penitentiary. A few militiamen (equipped with infantry weapons) are watching the movement of the newcomers. One by one we enter a room where two guardians will "take the fingerprints" of each detainee: we dip all 10 fingers of our hands in China ink, then we leave our fingerprints on some cardboard forms... Another guardian will photograph each detainee: from the front and from the profile. A militia major lieutenant has records of all convicts, by category of punishment. Several guardians watch our group carefully. We are introduced into a large room. Sandu Ivas is a medical assistant. He will check each prisoner if he has lice. After about half an hour, the check is finished: no one has lice. We are getting ready for the bath. We are completely naked. Our clothes are taken to the penitentiary warehouse, with labels with the names of the owners... The barber comes and cuts the hair of each prisoner. With an electric clipper he completely removes the hair from the head. It seems that we are bald-headed… Then we are directed to the bathroom. A large room with many showers where we use "Key" soap as a detergent. We leave the bathroom at the command of the guardian and dress ourselves in the clothes of the jail. It is a hard and difficult moment – which press as a burden on the souls of all prisoners – especially of those who were not, in the past, in the jail…All the clothes in the jail have white and black stripes (they are striped) and they prove to you that you are a prisoner (not a free man).
You can't forget that you're a convict...These clothes humble and humiliate you. They say: "You lost the game with the authorities! You have been definitively defeated!"… Then the barber comes again to shave us. He uses a cutting razor. He will come every week in the future to shave the prisoners...
In the penitentiary there are few large rooms and many small rooms - called cells. The newcomers will be introduced in cells with 9 beds. We can see three groups of three beds overlapped on top of each other: ground floor, first floor and second floor. (This phrase is in English UK). These are arranged in their extension. The cell is narrow – about 2.50 metres. Therefore: the width (breadth) of a bed is 1.20 metres, and the distance to opposite wall is 1.30 metres, on the whole – 2,50 metres. As length: the cell is about 8 metres.
There is a Turkish WC, without a “pot” to sit on, arranged in a small room without a door, so that the person going to the WC not to can stay hidden behind the door and to be visible all the time. (The "pot" is an object made of plastic or metal, somewhat cylindrical in shape). The dimensions of this enclosure are: 2 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, that is an area of 3 square meters. There is here also a sink that provides only cold water.
Eight of the nine beds will be occupied by newcomers. There is a bed which is situated on the ground floor, not far off the door. It is already occupied by a prisoner with some "age" in the jail. He is "nominated" as "chief of the room". (Each cell has a "chief of the room"). In the cell you have a great privilege: you sit alone in a bed. In the large or medium rooms of the penitentiary, there is often the situation: two prisoners in one bed.
The "chief of the room" will "give the report" when the guardian will arrive and will open the door, usually around 8 in the morning and around 8 in the evening:
- Citizen guardian! In the cell did not happen any remarkable. All the prisoners are present. I am the "chief of the room" - prisoner Padurescu Vasile.
The cell door is a "sandwich" type: between two metal plates there is a wooden plate. Each metal plate is 1 centimeter thick, and the wooden plate is 5 centimeters thick. If we make arithmetic addition - of the two metal thicknesses - (one centimeter each), we get a thickness of 2 centimeters (metal plates). There are light tanks (in the army) which have thinner armor than a cell door in penitentiary.
In its exterior there is a big and resistant to any pressure fastener (latch) - which has an horizontal motion (for closing and opening firmly the door). Above and below there are two big padlocks which can be locked and unlocked with the help of two keys. The guardian has (on the leather belt) several keys for several cells. Each guardian has responsibility for 7 or 8 cells, especially for the doors of these.
When he wants to enter the cell - the guardian performs a movement of the the latch: from left to right, then unlock the two padlocks with the help of two keys.
At a height of 1.50 metres there is a "sight hole" - a orifice which pierces through the door, from the outside to the inside, in the shape of a cylinder. The diameter of this cylinder is 3 centimetres and its height is 7 centimetres, that is the thickness of the door (metal plus wood). Through this orifice the guardian can look inside the cell. It is forbidden for the prisoners to look from interior of the room to the outside. In this sense there is a sheet metal lid in the shape of a circle. This lid can cover the entire "sight hole", or cover half of it, or leave it completely uncovered.
Almost all the guardians have a kind of "laziness" and do not open the doors of the small cells (9-bed cells) daily, but very rarely. However, they look through "sight holes" into the inside of the cells. According to the regulations of the penitentiary - the guardians are obliged to enter the cells daily (three times a day) and to check the situation of the prisoners (if they are discipline problems or other kind of problems). Against the stipulations of the regulation, they avoid to open the doors of the cells. They have routine and experience in the matter of the behavior of the prisoners and skillfully they observe if there is something wrong in the cell. That is, they "have trained eyes" for observing any irregularity...
There are cases of violence in cells, especially suicide attempts or homosexual rape attempts. In such situations, most often one or more prisoners hit the iron door with their fists and shout in a loud voice: "Citizen guardian!...Citizen guardian!" The guardian on duty arrives immediately. If the conflict situation in the cell is serious he presses on the electric "Alarm" button. Very quickly two or three guardians armed with folding machine guns and rubber batons will arrive. They are very solid and strong and thoroughly
trained for hand-to-hand combat. They will enter the cell and restore order and discipline...
There are (in the penitentiary) narrations about many suicides or suicide attempts. Some colleagues have tried to stop these dramatic gestures, but they did not always succeed. The "folklore" of the penitentiary is full of details about the various methods used, about the desperate situation of those who started, eventually continued to do this thing (often in a way unlikely to be true). Of course, the passion for telling stories with exaggerations is very present in prisons.
by Eugen Hulub
In August 1986 I had an attempt to cross the border (from Romania) to Yugoslavia. I was caught and arrested, but considering the psychic problems which I had from the army I was released and judged in freedom. To be more explicit, I had been a student
of a military officers' school (specialty: anti -aircraft artillery) and the harsh regime in this school caused me a mental illness, so that, after three years of activity as an officer (lieutenant) I have been passed in reserve as inapt.
However, I was sentenced to 8 months in prison.
In June, 1987, when I was still employed (at Synthetic yarn factory), at noon, two militiamen came to me with arrest warrant, they put me the handcuffs, introduced me in a van, then the van went to the Municipal Militia. I entered the arrest of the militia.
(Militia was equivalent to police in the western countries). It should be noted that: before to be introduced into the arrest room, the offenders were "received" by a militiaman (in a neighboring room).
This moment - of my arresting - was as a shock.
I was very affected (by the arresting), with some fear, with small possibilities to appreciate correctly the situation I was in, without the power to express myself coherently, or to react.
The "reception" was made by a militiaman (a Petty Officer) (NCO = non commissioned officer).
In the room which was neighbor to the Arrest Room - according to the legal procedure, he asked me to undress (to take off my clothes) and to remain only with my sports pants on me. I complied with the militiaman's request (and remained only with my sports pants on me).
Surprising thing: this militiaman (NCO) was - at that time - very humane and very kind. He told me that I will stay in the penitentiary only 3 months, then I will be released. In that deplorable and pitiable state in which I was - his words helped me very much. .
My clothes (except the underpants) were placed on a wooden table, in front of the militiaman (NCO): undershirt, shirt, trousers, thin jacket.
He took out of the pockets of the pants and jacket: the identity card, money, job card, a little notebook, a ball-point pen, a handkerchief, a pack of cigarettes without a filter (named: “Bucegi"). At the same time, he took the belt of my trousers and the shoelaces of my shoes, because (he explained to me) - this is the procedure for any detainee, in any arrest room - such that he not to hang himself (with the belt of the trousers or
with the shoelaces of the shoes).
I dressed myself again. Of the objects on the table I received the pack of cigarettes without a filter.
Another militiaman (guardian) led me to the main detention room, which was quite large, about 10 meters by 10 meters, with overlapping beds, a bed on the ground floor, then (above this):the second, and (above the second): the third one. There were about 20 such columns of three beds each.
In the vicinity of the door was a free space, a rectangle: it was 4 meters long and 3 meters wide. In this free space there was a bucket in which the detainees to urinate. No one was allowed to hold a box of matches. One militiaman (guardian) was coming periodically (every two hours, during the day) and "was giving fire"- for smokers.
He was taking out of his pocket a box of matches, then he was setting fire a match and
he was giving it to a smoker (who was having a cigarette prepared for burning).
He "was not giving fire"- to several detainees, but to only one. Later, he was inserting the box with matches in his pocket, leaving the room and closing the heavy door with a bolt and a padlock. I think almost all of those in the room were smokers. The cigarette was a very important object in the jail and – all the time – without filter (with the names: “Bucegi”, “Carpati”, “Marasesti”).
10 o'clock am was the time for physiological needs (shit, urine). Not far from the arrest room there are 4 WCs. Two militiamen (guardians) arrived ... They release the heavy door from bolt and a padlock. They open the heavy door:
- Go to WCs! You have a quarter of an hour for physiological needs! ... This urge (order) is pronounced with strength, firmness and conviction.
Immediately we run to the sanitary group with the intention to get a place in a toilet (WC). It is very important to integrate yourself with the program of going to the WC.
I specify the fact that I keep in a pocket the pack of “Bucegi” cigarettes (without filter). This is a privilege ...! Now I must find a place in a bed. I started looking for… This is a very difficult mission: nobody wants to give a place (in his bed) to a newcomer. I have some experience from the military life regarding the psychological features of various people. I notice that a young man has great appetite for smoking and I give him 5 cigarettes. Thus I obtain a place in his bed (located at "ground floor"). He was alone in bed before my arrival…
I learned that there are “vagabond convicts” and “penal convicts”. If for “penal convicts” the punishments were pronounced by a Law Court of Justice or by a High Court of Justice – for “vagabond convicts” the punishments were given by Militia (by superior officers). The minimum punishment was: one month in the penitentiary, and the maximum punishment was 6 months in the penitentiary. The reasons of the punishment for "vagabond convicts" were: scandal in the restaurant (or in a block of flats) (or in a village) after the consumption of alcohol in large quantities. The scandal was caused by drunk individuals. Other times the reason for the conviction was: a disrespectful attitude (even minor conflicts) towards the authorities. Last but not least - the cause of the conviction was: many absences from the workplace ("absences without a good reason").
For “penal convicts” there is a great privilege: they could leave the penitentiary earlier than the term stipulated in the sentence pronounced by a Law Court of Justice or by a High Court of Justice.
The reduction of the punishment was possible in conditions of disciplined behavior and a lot of work (daily). This reduction was of maximum one third of the punishment (rarely: half of the punishment). (The word "third" comes from cutting one whole into three equal parts. For example: from a melon cut into three equal parts we get three "thirds")
(The adjective "vagabond" refers, of course, to the time before entering the jail. These "vagabonds" individuals were usually very poor - from a material point of view - but also lazy, and they had no their own homes. Often, in the summer, they were sleeping on the grass, in the park or in the forest. Their clothes - in the penitentiary - were different – as shape and color - from the clothes of the “penal convicts”. However, the "vagabond convicts" were obliged to work (most often in the field of construction and agriculture) - in order to obtain money and food…Their imprisonment was hard ...).
The food (which came three times a day) was very poor and was not tasty. As an overview: some ones were small as the stature, others ones were tall and bulky. The portions were equal. This food was insufficient for each detainee, especially for the bulky ones. Anyway, you had no other possibility than to accept this poor food, to resist - from a physical, but also mental point of view - 6 months, or one year, or 7 years, or (incredibly!) 18 years. In the arrest room of the Militia - the biggest existing punishment was only 2 years and 6 months…A feeling of sadness, regret, even despair overwhelms and dominates me for a few moments.
The first thing which amazed me was this: a prisoner - after smoking three quarters of his cigarette - threw the cigarette end on the room mosaic (in that rectangle which was free space), and three very young "vagabond convicts", almost teenagers, rushed to collect it from the ground, as being a great value. "I must take care of cigarettes ... I must keep cigarettes for future smoking!” (I said to myself). Therefore: I was arrested and brought to the arrest room of the militia on June 15, 1987. Now (after a week) is June 22, 1987. On May 1 (which is my birthday) 1987 I started smoking intensely – because of the permanent psychic pressure on me in connection with the possibility of being convicted… It is an irony of fate that at my age of 30 I adopted tobacco as an ally…
(Until the age of 30 I rarely was smoking, only in restaurants or various occasions. The penal trial - according to article 240 of the Penal Code - was very tormenting, with permanent mental pressure, with the fear that I will get to prison, with the exasperation and despair that nothing can be done to escape from the punishment. The prospect of deprivation of freedom and spending a certain time in prison was like a black nightmare. The word "implacably" was as a thorn in my heart).
In the unfavorable conditions in the arrest room of the county militia (or in jail) any small privilege was extremely important. The struggle for survival supposes, under these conditions, a terrible selfishness, without the smallest concession for others. Some ones were exhausting their mental resources pretty quickly and were tackling the question of suicide with great preoccupation for details and with supreme decision. For the time being, in the arrest room of the county militia there was not the slightest reference to suicide, the most prisoners having punishments under one year. There were jokes and jests which circulated in Romania before June 1987. There is also a lot of reproach and many insults for the communist regime led by Nicolae Ceausescu.
5 years ago, the Romanian Communist Party established that certain institutions (of course, state institutions) to have self -financing and self – administration.
This means that the respective institutions, especially the army (having as central entitling: the “Ministry of National Defense”) and Militia (having as central entitling: the “Ministry of Interior”) to provide with food for themselves from their own resources (in a proportion of 25 %).
In this year 1987 Romania is dominated by hunger and serious lack of food (due to the massive export of food products - for the payment of external debt). Strange thing: Vaslui County, as distinction to all other counties of Romania, has succeeded, through his communist leaders, to get a constant and rich supply with meat and meat products, especially salami and sausages, but also dairy products. Some visitors (coming from Transylvania or other areas of the country) look with wonder at the products displayed in refrigerated windows.
In this spirit the military units (of the army and of the militia) have started a vigorous program for food production: vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, eggs and fish.
All these have "annexed households", more precisely: pig farms, bird farms (chickens, turkeys, etc.), a few milk cows, a pond with phytophagus, orchard with fruit trees and vegetable gardens (with: tomatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, peppers, melons, etc), some ones have greenhouses of vegetables - heated in winter with hot water from the large thermal power plant of Vaslui city. These greenhouses give fresh vegetables in winter…
Most of the food obtained in AH ("annexed households") is consumed by military personnel (officers and noncommissioned officers) and very little is consumed by the soldiers.
As a general appreciation: the annexed household of the county militia is the richest and most complex in the city of Vaslui. The leaders of the militia were very meticulous. As superlatives: it has a farm with 30 pigs, a farm with many hens, turkeys, ducks and geese, etc. The garden with vegetables was from the beginning designed to obtain large productions, having water supply, fence and personnel for the maintenance of crops: hoeing and weeding out, irrigation, activity to harvest, etc.
To be appointed to work in the garden (as a prisoner) is an extremely high privilege. There are "heavy struggles" for this privilege - inside the arrest room, but also outside - when there are "cells", "relationships", "knowledge". (These three words: "cells", "relationships", "knowledge" are the names in the jargon for the people who have important functions in the Romanian Communist Party and "offers" privileges for various "gifts" received from the applicants - with discretion). The envy is very great on the part of everyone for those chosen to work in the garden.
Two prisoners having small stature, but vigorous and sinewy, with powerful muscles and strong tendons, able to face men taller than them, being extremely naughty and impertinent, arrogating to themselves the title: "little gods" of the arrest room - were working at the garden since the morning until the evening.
As two characters in a play - they are sometimes very visible, other times few visible. We refer now to the moment of birthday.
- Tomorrow is my birthday! said one of them. I think I'll get some brandy. I have a pair of thick socks. I will dip them in the brandy... Then I will enter the arrest room here with the socks in a pocket. I will give you to taste few brandy because you are poor and despair.
To not be believed that this was being the usual tone of his voice! Most of the time he was swearing and address very bad words to the other prisoners, he even was threatening them with beating if they were not respecting him as a leader. A damnable, arrogant, uneducated, rude man. The other prisoner resembles exactly to him (he was the very image of him) not only as stature, but also as manner. When the two ones were entering the arrest room there was being an immediate silence - because each of the prisoners was afraid that they could fall prey to one or other of these two individuals. The collective fear was the sum of the fears of everyone present. No one risked to have a conflict with the two ones. To the harsh conditions in this prison - to add a conflict with any of them was almost unbearable.
Nerves “are defeated" for minor reasons, let alone aggression on the part of the two.
Sometimes they were aggressive with ones of the prisoners for no reason, just as a whim…and those who were enduring the aggression were silent, resigned and peaceful, with no hope of revenge. The anger or indignation or displeasure of the two ones was pressing down on them. This situation will have an end after a few days, or a week or a month. In all this time they were enduring with stoicism the discrimination.
It would be a terrible mistake to lose your temper (your balance) and to react against those two with a minimum of nervousness and revolt. Very rarely does this situation exist - the one attacked with words and with a hostile and mocking attitude to respond with indignation and revolt:
- Why are you always harassing me? What's your problem with me? What do you have against me? What evil have I done to you?... Even more:
- Why do you think you're so great? Do you think you are someone important? Why do you think so?
Then it was following (for the indignant one) a period of discrimination and persecution which was hard for any human being to bear.
What is a “cubic clay”? It is a piece for building a country house, made of clay and parallelepipedal in shape: 30 centimetres long, 20 centimetres wide and 10 centimetres high. Country houses were built only of clay, one method being the planting of vertical poles (clubs) (straight wood between 5 and 10 centimetres in diameter) where the walls will be.
So, some poles (clubs) stuck in the ground, the horizontal distance between two poles (clubs) being approximately 30 centimetres. Between these is put clay thoroughly mixed with straw. The strength of the future walls will be given by these vertical poles (clubs).
When you build the house of cubic clay - there is no need for vertical poles. The pieces of cubic clay are stacked on top of each other - forming the walls of the house. (There is a big difference between bricks and clay parallelepipeds. The bricks are made of fired clay, but black clay parallelepipeds are not fired). The bond between them is made with soft yellow clay (i.e. clay mixed with water). After a few days the yellow clay becomes hard.
The strength of the walls resulting from the building of the black cubic clay is lower than that of the walls built around the vertical poles (made of black clay mixed with straw).
(We may use the expression "dollop clay" instead of "cubic clay").
In the penitentiary (and in the county militia detention rooms), the prisoners receive "boiled corn flour" with a cubic shape. (“mămăligă” = “boiled corn flour”). (In the morning they get a slice of bread and a cup of tea). The traditional name (entered into folklore) of these cubes of “mămăligă” (“boiled corn flour”) is “cubic clay”.
In the arrest room of County militia where I was in - the hunger determined prisoners to eat the entire “cubic clay”. Even more, some ones purchased "cubic clay" for a fee. The cigarettes are the currency of exchange in any transaction. In general, a “cubic clay” is paid with 5 cigarettes.
I don't think I talked (in this room) about my situation, anyway - I don't remember if I talked or not. The fact is that very quickly all the prisoners found out that I wanted to cross the border illegally and that I have mental problems. As an overview: each one knows everything about everyone in the room.
A tall fellow, having 1.85 metres as height, stout, with some baldness, but with hair above the ears approaches me and says:
When the guardian will come, you will approach him and you will make big eyes and you will distort your face and you will utter: "Uuuu!...Uuuu!...Uuuu!...", then the commander of county militia will send you to the psychiatric hospital as a madman and your penal punishment will be cancelled.
I neither approve nor disapprove him. His idea is not good because the judges do not like the situation: mentally ill as a delinquent. Often they are irritated and nervous when they hear of mental illness and "give" greater punishments than they should give. I had from the psychiatry the diagnosis: "Psychotic mental illness". This diagnosis reveals that the patient is located at the extreme of the staircase of mental illness, i.e. the greatest gravity. Normally judges should not decide any punishment in this case. However I was punished...
Another day: the same tall fellow, stout, with some baldness, but with hair above the ears approaches me and says:
- When we leave the prison we will make a plan to fraudulently cross the border to Yugoslavia. We will steal two horses that run very quickly. We will be riding on our horses very fast during nighttime, we will cross the border strip and we arrive to Yugoslavia. Then we sell the two horses and get money.
Again I do not respond with any reply to what was said by the tall fellow.
The border strip is a tape of 5 meters wide, flat and covered with sand, which stretches along the border between Romania and Yugoslavia.
There is no border strip from Orșova to Turnu Severin because the border with Yugoslavia is marked by the Danube river. From the coast it is not possible to sail to a foreign country because there is a very strict control of all boats sailing in the Black Sea.
On the terrestrial border (which is not marked by the Danube River) the border guard (soldier) is guarding with harshness the border strip because, if there are traces of steps, he will be sentenced to prison.
There is even a <song of the border guard>:
“My God, don’t give anyone
A life like that of the border guard!”
……………………………………………….
"If there are traces of steps on the border strip
Oh, my mother, it is a case of penal trial (and jail).”
Furlough is a soldier's right to go home to his parents for 5 days. Apart from Furlough - the soldier has the right to receive rest leave (15 days).
Often, in some village, we can see border guards (soldiers) drinking wine, then they go on the lane of the village - from one end to another - singing in a loud voice (so that all the villagers to hear):
“My God, don’t give anyone
A life like that of the border guard!”
(Of course, this is about soldiers on rest leave).
Again, the idea of the tall fellow is not good, because near border strip, on the side to Romania (left side), there are some sensors. These detect any unusual movement around them. They are made up of the wire of 50 meters long, having at each end smart sound triggering devices, as well as little bells or ringers. Along the left side of the border strip the most efficient smart devices are installed - on a distance of about 100 kilometers, in the southern part of Timiş county, namely, along the border with Yugoslavia. (Other devices - less efficient - are installed on the rest of the terrestrial border). When a delinquent will touch the wire of the sensor (before to arrive at the border strip) the little bells will ring and will draw the attention of the border guard (soldier). Immediately he will open firing and will shoot any suspected shadow of being a delinquent. He has a total of 120 cartridges (in the machine gun - type AKM - and in the bag with loaders). (A load is a mechanical device in which there are 30 cartridges). (The bag with loaders is made of resistant canvas and is attached to the soldier's leather belt, on the right side of the body). It will be automatic fire, namely: 10 bullets per second will leave the barrel of the machine gun. Often they were killed or wounded some delinquents intending to cross the border (to Yugoslavia). In these cases, the border guard (soldier) had no legal (penal) liability…
The tall fellow was gathering pieces of cubic clay and was putting them in the bosom, namely: under the thin sweater that had the lower part inserted into the pants.
It's evening. The two short men who work in the garden appear. There is silence in the room, those present waiting to see and hear what the two ones will do or say.
One of them finds that it's missing the cubic clay which he left under his pillow this morning. More dumbfounded than nervous, he asks loudly:
- Who did take my cubic clay?
Nobody say something. He repeats the question:
- Who did take my cubic clay? In the morning it was here, and now it is no longer. Who did take my cubic clay?
Not receiving an answer, he begins to search through the room in order to find his cubic clay and to see who has more than one cubic clay. He does not find a suspect (who would have stolen his cubic clay). Finally, he stops in front of the tall fellow.
He sees that the tall fellow is swollen at the front of his body and grabs his sweater to look inside. He sees a lot of pieces of cubic clay:
- Did you think to obtain a cubic clay in addition, you wretch, miserable?
Did you obtain my cubic clay, dear scoundrel? Why did you confiscate my cubic clay?
Then, very angry, he starts punching him in the belly:
- Why did you steal my cubic clay? Why did you steal my cubic clay?
The tall fellow starts to weep, being silent.
- Why didn't you ask for a cubic clay if you are very hungry? Why did you look for a cubic clay under my pillow when I was away?
And suddenly became very nervous because the cubic clay was stolen while he was away at work, hits him harder in the belly. He continues to weep, being more affected by the anger of the aggressor than by the blows received in the belly.
- If you will want again a cubic clay in the future – you should beg me! Do you understand?
The tall fellow nods affirmatively, not being able to speak.
The aggressor goes to his bed, having a face of angry and dissatisfied man.
- If someone else will steal another cubic clay from me, I'll beat him until I will destroy him.
Those in the room followed the scene without reacting in any way ...
In this year 1987 the political, social and economic conditions were bad for the majority of the population in Romania. However, the football was highly appreciated and there were great passions about this sport.
The most valuable football teams are: "Dinamo" Bucharest, which belongs to the Ministry of Interior, with all the militiamen and officers of the communist political police as supporters, "Steaua" Bucharest, representative of the Army, with the majority of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Ministry of National Defense as supporters and "Craiova University", the team of Oltenia, supported by the Oltenian people, but to some extent by the presidential family of Nicolae Ceausescu (discreetly).
("Oltenia" is a province located in the south of Romania, with obvious Latin features - more Latin than the others. In the year 106 AD the territory of the present Romania was conquered by the Roman Empire and Latin language, as well as other ethnic features have decisively changed the physiognomy of the old population. The inhabitants of Oltenia have the name Olteni, or Oltenian People. Nicolae Ceausescu is Oltenian.).
The terrible, long - length rivalry (probably, even since their establishment) was between Steaua and Dinamo. (Steaua was founded in 1947 year, and Dinamo in 1948)…
It is Sunday.The match between Steaua and Dinamo starts at 3pm (15.00h). The stadium is full: about 100 thousand spectators. The fight for victory is fierce. The passions are very large. The spectators sing and emphasize the names of some valuable and important players, or shout, or scream, or roar… The Steaua team will defeat the Dinamo team. Score: 3-1 for Steaua. Score: 3-1 for Steaua. The defeat of Dinamo team produced very much anger, sorrow and annoyance among the supporters of the this team.
It should be mentioned that in 1986, in the summer, the Steaua team won the "European Champions Cup" - the most important European trophy awarded to any football club. The final of this competition was played between the teams FC Barcelona and Steaua (in the town Sevilla of Spain).
The Dinamo team tried to imitate the Steaua team and to win the big trophy. They reached the semi-finals - when they lost the qualifying match for the final…
It should be noted that the large room in which the prisoners were held had a small window, of course, with iron bars.
Some of the families of the prisoners, bolder and more courageous and daring than others – were coming in order to say some words to prisoners, especially to those of their families.
The risk was high for any visitor: if a militiaman saw a person located near the small window, speaking to prisoners - immediately was arresting him and was introducing him into a room for physical torture. (There were militiamen specialized in torture: physical and mental). Two or three militiamen were harsh beating the arrested visitors. In addition, the commander of the county militia behaved like a god.
Sometimes he was in the mood to punish a visitor with imprisonment (as a homeless person) (as vagrant) - between a month and 6 months, most often the punishment (the sentence) was 6 months. He had the right to punish (to imprison) any innocent civilians...
In connection with the beatings suffered by some people in some room of the Municipal Police or in the cellars of the County Police there is the expression: "beating with shouted words".
The syntagma “shouted words" was used for a long time to name popular lyrics said in the village “hora”. (Hora" is the name of a folk dance - which came to Romania from Bulgaria and is the slowest dance. This word also defines the event which happens every Sunday in the center of the village - with many folk dances, music, consumption of wine, joy, merrymaking, sometimes conflicts between young men). (Of course, there were not only the “Hora”, but also other dances: “Serbian Dance”, “Ship Dance”, “Waltz”, “Tango”, etc.). (Most dances were Romanian).
Such “shouted words" were:
“Basil, basil
It must be a change in the middle”!
The “hora” was a big circle formed by the joining of dancers, who are holding their hands each to other - in the case of the “hora”, or with hands fixed (fastened) on the shoulders, one to the other – in the case of “Serbian Dance” (which is quick). (The members of the circle were not bothering [made not inconvenience] each other because they were very good dancers). In the middle of this circle were pairs, each consisting of a man and a woman. Usually, the pairs were formed on mutual affinities. The duration of a dance was between 3 and 5 minutes. Each pair had the right to dance only for a while, then the man left his partner and another man took his place. After another interval of time the woman left the pair and invited another woman (indicated by her partner) to continue the dance etc. Each member of the living circle will have the opportunity to dance with a partner. If a pair stayed longer in the dance than they have the right, some ones on the edge were warning in a loud voice:
“Basil, basil
It must be a change in the middle”!
The “shouted words” were numerous and very diverse, adapted according to the social condition, the physical appearance, the moral appearance, the age, the good habits or the vices, the events of the dancers, etc.
If you were beaten by the militiamen, there were two simple variants: with “shouted words” or without “shouted words”.
So those who were screaming, roaring in pain were labeled to have endured beatings with “shouted words”.
If there were no screams or roaring of pain - it means that the beating was without “shouted words”…
It is not known exactly how, but the prisoners found out about the defeat suffered by the “Dinamo” football team.
At 10 o'clock am (before lunch) the guardian (extremely upset and angry) came in to "give fire" to the smokers. About 4 or 5 detainees began to blame and to gossip the “Steaua” team, with a loud voice so that the guardian to hear:
- The game of the football team "Steaua" is mediocre and is not spectacular. They do not practice a modern football - as the "Dinamo" team. They were very lucky to win the match.
- They don't fight for the victory, but are waiting for occasions to score goals...as alms. They're only waiting for the alms...to score goals.
- Only "Dinamo" plays a real football - in our championship - and sometimes "Universitatea Craiova". “Steaua” is a group of hooligans, without discipline, without tactics in the game.
The guardian has calmed down somewhat after listening to these words…
The same little window would like to air the room (full of thick cigarette smoke). Many of the prisoners smoke also during the night. Every time when a new detainee arrives, it is assaulted with requests for cigarettes. Sometimes the newcomer gives about 2 or 3 cigarettes. No more. Most of the time the requests for cigarettes are treated with categorical refusal.
Most of the detainees talk about departure (from the arrest room of the militia to the penitentiary). There are many arguments in favor of the penitentiary:
larger space, more light and more air, good hygiene, bathroom with many showers, club for watching movies, walking space (in the shape of a circle, with high side walls), somewhat better food than here, the right to receive a parcel with food every month, the right to talk to a family member or friend, the right to send letters, etc.
In this year 1987 the communist dictatorship is approaching to its acme. Nicolae Ceausescu was so greedy for power that no one and nothing could satiate him. He became the leader of the Romanian Communist Party when the former leader (Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej) died (because of a very serious liver disease). Then he eliminated from the pyramid of the power his main political opponents and became the unique and authoritative "Master" on the Communist Party and on the country. In these conditions he worked (however) very much, started and continued for 12 years the industrialization of Romania. His conviction was that a country which has as main branch of production: the agriculture - cannot be strong; only with a ample, efficient and competitive industry Romania can be situated in the world elite. There was a decade of industrialization and spectacular growth of the Romanian economy, together with firm measures to increase the standard of living (the construction of numerous blocks of flats, the rich supply for all Romanians with various foods, even with some imported products, good salaries, jobs for all citizens, stores [shops] well supplied with various products, free tuition and many facilities for eminent pupils and students, opening for the West culture and attractive television programs, etc.), the involvement with big success in the world politics and diplomacy (having an important role in establishing good relationships between the Soviet Union and China, between Israel and the Arab world etc., but also diplomatic relations between Romania and about 100 countries with diverse political regimes), the unprecedented development of Romanian sport etc. etc. All these propelled him in the position of very popular leader and loved by all. In 1980 Romania had an external debt of 10 billion US dollars, and the International Monetary Fund demanded the payment of this debt. At that moment Nicolae Ceausescu imposed drastic conditions on the economy of Romania - in the sense of exporting a lot of products, especially foods. These conditions have generated: hunger, cold in winter, diseases, dissatisfaction, fear and insecurity, low standard of living - unacceptable for any human being. Thus began the incredible and terrible communist dictatorship of Ceausescu.
(With reference to the years 1965-1979 - when there was no communist dictatorship)
Nicolae Ceausescu was preoccupied with "the formation” of the new man, a conscious builder of communism. In this sense: he organized and carried out a Congress of Socialist Culture and Education. This congress elaborated political and propaganda documents. He wanted all the persons in Romania to work with their own will and own conscience - without urge or obligation from various state or party institutions. On this occasion he discovered a deficiency in the ethical structure of the socialist society: he had a big dilemma when it arose the problem of the way of addressing between the prisoners and those at liberty. Is it correct and normal to say "comrade" to a delinquent?
We will not say “comrades” to some “delinquents”… Someone from those close to him proposed as an address formula: "citizen!". Nicolae Ceausescu agreed to this proposal.
Thus, the word "citizen" was adopted as an address formula: between a prisoner and a guardian, between a guardian and a prisoner, between two prisoners. The word "comrade" is forbidden - in penitentiaries and in Detention Rooms of Militia.
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Finally, the armored truck (lorry) of the penitentiary arrives. A long, stately and imposing truck, painstakingly built and with a sense of responsibility, destined to keep and transport some of the most dangerous prisoners. The steel walls isolate the personnel inside from all sides, making an absolutely impenetrable box: to the side, in front, behind, down and up. There is no connection with the outside except a window fitted with thick iron bars. The door behind this "box" has a closing system consisting of an internal latch, an external latch and a lock with a key. The prisoners are introduced into the premises through this door with handcuffs on their hands. On the side walls there are some thick links used to lock the chains from the feet of the most dangerous prisoners. Other iron links are used to connect with the handcuffs of prisoners (those who only have handcuffs on their hands). This is an additional measure of precaution against any escape attempt. There are two long wooden benches. On these benches are placed (one next to another) various delinquents (who are now forced to
endure the rigors of the law): thieves, rapists, brawlers, authors of embezzlement, a homosexual, a speculator, someone who illegally crossed the border between Romania and Yugoslavia, and one who usurped official qualities, i.e. pretended to be a prosecutor. At the door-facing ends of the benches are the specially arranged compartments for the two guardians, who are equipped with machine guns and are ready to shoot (to fire) if anyone tries to escape. No chance! Handcuffs, chains, armored walls, alarm system, machine guns and the watchful eyes of the two guardians (militiamen). There is a space next to the window where two "happy" prisoners look at the outside landscape: they can see what is happening outside, they can follow with their eyes, like in the cinema, the entire route from the Militia to the penitentiary. Every tree, every house, every car, every person have importance for the two viewers watching from the window. They will have what to tell when they will arrive at the penitentiary, they will know how to show off their fresh knowledge, they will even brag to others. The route is not long: after leaving the city we go on the road: Vaslui - Crasna, then, after one kilometer, turning to the left on a paved road, among orchards and pastures. At the end of the road is the penitentiary: a somewhat new building, with two rows of high stone fences (a high outer fence, built of concrete and another concrete fence, located 5 meters away towards the interior, parallel to the outer fence), with solid metal gates and alarm systems. At the entrance, near the metal gate, a sentry is posted. The whole construction is in the shape of a square. Probably: the side of this square is 100 meters. In the four corners of the square there are four pavilions (watchtowers) in which there are four other sentinels, each equipped with infantry
weapons, corded (landline) phone and binoculars. In the middle part is the courtyard - paved with a thick and resistant layer of concrete on the entire surface. This is visible from the windows of some detention cells. There is a pavilion building for men and another for women. (Each pavilion building has small or big detention cells). The exterior fence has a large metal gate, and the inner fence has a smaller metal gate...
There is much precaution and attention when we go out from the armored truck (lorry). We have no longer handcuffs on our hands. Crossing through the two gates involves a real ritual:
“attach (stick) you face on the wall!”, "change you position and attach (stick) your back on the wall!", “go to the left position!”, “go to the right position!”, “lie down on the ground!”, “crawl on the ground!”, "Stand up straight!", “lie down on the ground!”, “crawl on the ground!”, "Stand up straight!", "Go in column - one by one!",etc.
We are inside the penitentiary. A few militiamen (equipped with infantry weapons) are watching the movement of the newcomers. One by one we enter a room where two guardians will "take the fingerprints" of each detainee: we dip all 10 fingers of our hands in China ink, then we leave our fingerprints on some cardboard forms... Another guardian will photograph each detainee: from the front and from the profile. A militia major lieutenant has records of all convicts, by category of punishment. Several guardians watch our group carefully. We are introduced into a large room. Sandu Ivas is a medical assistant. He will check each prisoner if he has lice. After about half an hour, the check is finished: no one has lice. We are getting ready for the bath. We are completely naked. Our clothes are taken to the penitentiary warehouse, with labels with the names of the owners... The barber comes and cuts the hair of each prisoner. With an electric clipper he completely removes the hair from the head. It seems that we are bald-headed… Then we are directed to the bathroom. A large room with many showers where we use "Key" soap as a detergent. We leave the bathroom at the command of the guardian and dress ourselves in the clothes of the jail. It is a hard and difficult moment – which press as a burden on the souls of all prisoners – especially of those who were not, in the past, in the jail…All the clothes in the jail have white and black stripes (they are striped) and they prove to you that you are a prisoner (not a free man).
You can't forget that you're a convict...These clothes humble and humiliate you. They say: "You lost the game with the authorities! You have been definitively defeated!"… Then the barber comes again to shave us. He uses a cutting razor. He will come every week in the future to shave the prisoners...
In the penitentiary there are few large rooms and many small rooms - called cells. The newcomers will be introduced in cells with 9 beds. We can see three groups of three beds overlapped on top of each other: ground floor, first floor and second floor. (This phrase is in English UK). These are arranged in their extension. The cell is narrow – about 2.50 metres. Therefore: the width (breadth) of a bed is 1.20 metres, and the distance to opposite wall is 1.30 metres, on the whole – 2,50 metres. As length: the cell is about 8 metres.
There is a Turkish WC, without a “pot” to sit on, arranged in a small room without a door, so that the person going to the WC not to can stay hidden behind the door and to be visible all the time. (The "pot" is an object made of plastic or metal, somewhat cylindrical in shape). The dimensions of this enclosure are: 2 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, that is an area of 3 square meters. There is here also a sink that provides only cold water.
Eight of the nine beds will be occupied by newcomers. There is a bed which is situated on the ground floor, not far off the door. It is already occupied by a prisoner with some "age" in the jail. He is "nominated" as "chief of the room". (Each cell has a "chief of the room"). In the cell you have a great privilege: you sit alone in a bed. In the large or medium rooms of the penitentiary, there is often the situation: two prisoners in one bed.
The "chief of the room" will "give the report" when the guardian will arrive and will open the door, usually around 8 in the morning and around 8 in the evening:
- Citizen guardian! In the cell did not happen any remarkable. All the prisoners are present. I am the "chief of the room" - prisoner Padurescu Vasile.
The cell door is a "sandwich" type: between two metal plates there is a wooden plate. Each metal plate is 1 centimeter thick, and the wooden plate is 5 centimeters thick. If we make arithmetic addition - of the two metal thicknesses - (one centimeter each), we get a thickness of 2 centimeters (metal plates). There are light tanks (in the army) which have thinner armor than a cell door in penitentiary.
In its exterior there is a big and resistant to any pressure fastener (latch) - which has an horizontal motion (for closing and opening firmly the door). Above and below there are two big padlocks which can be locked and unlocked with the help of two keys. The guardian has (on the leather belt) several keys for several cells. Each guardian has responsibility for 7 or 8 cells, especially for the doors of these.
When he wants to enter the cell - the guardian performs a movement of the the latch: from left to right, then unlock the two padlocks with the help of two keys.
At a height of 1.50 metres there is a "sight hole" - a orifice which pierces through the door, from the outside to the inside, in the shape of a cylinder. The diameter of this cylinder is 3 centimetres and its height is 7 centimetres, that is the thickness of the door (metal plus wood). Through this orifice the guardian can look inside the cell. It is forbidden for the prisoners to look from interior of the room to the outside. In this sense there is a sheet metal lid in the shape of a circle. This lid can cover the entire "sight hole", or cover half of it, or leave it completely uncovered.
Almost all the guardians have a kind of "laziness" and do not open the doors of the small cells (9-bed cells) daily, but very rarely. However, they look through "sight holes" into the inside of the cells. According to the regulations of the penitentiary - the guardians are obliged to enter the cells daily (three times a day) and to check the situation of the prisoners (if they are discipline problems or other kind of problems). Against the stipulations of the regulation, they avoid to open the doors of the cells. They have routine and experience in the matter of the behavior of the prisoners and skillfully they observe if there is something wrong in the cell. That is, they "have trained eyes" for observing any irregularity...
There are cases of violence in cells, especially suicide attempts or homosexual rape attempts. In such situations, most often one or more prisoners hit the iron door with their fists and shout in a loud voice: "Citizen guardian!...Citizen guardian!" The guardian on duty arrives immediately. If the conflict situation in the cell is serious he presses on the electric "Alarm" button. Very quickly two or three guardians armed with folding machine guns and rubber batons will arrive. They are very solid and strong and thoroughly
trained for hand-to-hand combat. They will enter the cell and restore order and discipline...
There are (in the penitentiary) narrations about many suicides or suicide attempts. Some colleagues have tried to stop these dramatic gestures, but they did not always succeed. The "folklore" of the penitentiary is full of details about the various methods used, about the desperate situation of those who started, eventually continued to do this thing (often in a way unlikely to be true). Of course, the passion for telling stories with exaggerations is very present in prisons.