(photo) Rehabilitation of Ceauşescu spouses’ trial site: transformation into an exhibition space

The building of the former military unit at Târgovişte Train Station, where the trial of the Ceauşescu spouses took place, will be rehabilitated, and most of the interior will be dedicated to exhibitions, announced last week Corneliu Ştefan, the president of Dâmboviţa County Council.

Currently, the building is under the administration of Dâmboviţa County Council, and currently is used as the Museum of Communism. In the past, a Cavalry School also operated in the building, as reported by Agerpres news agency.

According to Corneliu Ștefan, the following works will be carried out: finishing work on the walls, floors, and ceilings, waterproofing the floor and basement walls, thermal insulation of the interior courtyard-facing walls, preservation of historical mosaic floor patterns in the central hall, replacing the entire old roof structure with a new one with ceramic tile roofing, restoration of interior and exterior finishes and replacement of electrical and heating installations.

On the upper floor, exhibition spaces will be arranged in the central part, while administrative offices, museum spaces, and research-related offices will be set up in the extremities. To ensure access for all individuals, a panoramic elevator will be installed, providing access from the courtyard level to each public level. In the southern part of the building, a public parking lot with an entrance from King Ferdinand Boulevard and an area for parking two buses will be established. Additionally, a fountain will be placed in the courtyard, and the green spaces in the former Cavalry School courtyard will be redesigned.

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Upon the completion of the works, the former Cavalry School will be able to host national and international cultural events, as well as local artistic and literary cafes, as announced by Corneliu Ştefan, the president of Dâmboviţa County Council. The total value of the project is RON 22 million, with approximately RON 8 million of this sum comes from non-reimbursable Norwegian funds, with the remaining amount provided by Dâmboviţa County Council.

Ceauşescu spouses’ trial

On December 25, 1989, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were swiftly tried and sentenced to death by an Exceptional Military Tribunal formed by the National Salvation Front, leading to their pre-determined guilty verdicts and death sentences. The primary charge levied against them was genocide. Romanian state television had announced that Nicolae Ceaușescu was accountable for the deaths of 60,000 people, though it remained unclear whether this figure referred to casualties during the Romanian Revolution in Timișoara or throughout Ceaușescu’s 24-year rule.

The trial unfolded amid unusual circumstances. General Victor Stănculescu had assembled a handpicked team of paratroopers earlier in the day to serve as the execution squad. The location for the execution had been chosen in advance, within the confines of a barracks’ square.

Nicolae Ceaușescu categorically refused to acknowledge the tribunal, contending that it lacked a constitutional basis and was part of a larger Soviet conspiracy orchestrated by the revolutionary authorities. The entire transcript of the trial is available on Google Arts&Culture.

Photos courtesy of Corneliu Ștefan Official Facebook Page