Cenaclul Flacăra

Cenaclul Flacăra (Romanian for "The Flame Literary Circle") was a cultural and artistic movement in Socialist Republic of Romania led by poet Adrian Păunescu. Between 1973 and 1985, it organized shows and concerts which, although rebellious in comparison to the official entertainment, promoted Nicolae Ceaușescu's cult of personality and the ideology of National Communism.

Cenaclul Flacăra organized 1615 shows of music, poetry and dialog throughout the country, having more than 6 million spectators.[1] The spectacles had a strong influence over the Romanians, especially the Romanian youth and spread his own ideology, a mix of left-wing Western-influenced ideas with Romanian nationalism.[1]

Creation

Toward the end of the 1960s, Adrian Păunescu earned a fame of being rebellious toward the regime, but eventually he became closer ideologically to President Nicolae Ceaușescu.[2] In 1973, he was named editor-in-chief of the cultural magazine Flacăra and in the same year, in September, he created the "Flacăra Circle of the Revolutionary Youth" (Cenaclul Flacăra al Tineretului Revoluționar).[2] For several years, the Flacăra literary circle organized poetry readings, some of which were recorded and parts of which were broadcast on National TV.[2] The events were held on Monday evenings at the Ion Creangă Theatre in Bucharest.[3]

On March 18, 1976, in Bucharest, the Flacăra literary circle organized its first show with mass participation, called "Spring Festival" (Festivalul Primăverii), to which 8000 people participated.[2] During the show, the spectators began nationalist slogans, including some referring to Bessarabia's annexation by the Soviet Union. (see Bessarabia in Romanian-Soviet relations).[2]

Similar shows were organized throughout the country, but the Spring Festival was an important part in the development of Păunescu's career, as it showed the Communist Party leadership that he was an able propagandist.[2]

Shows

The events organized by Cenaclul Flacăra soon grew more popular and it began touring Romania, organizing the events in concert halls and on stadiums.[3] A large number of artists participated in the Cenaclul Flacăra and some of them debuted or became popular with the help of it. Among the musicians who participated in the concerts were Mircea Vintilă, Florian Pittiș, Transsylvania Phoenix, Anda Călugăreanu, Ștefan Hrușcă, Vasile Șeicaru, Victor Socaciu, Doru Stănculescu and Tatiana Stepa.[3]

Ban

On June 15, 1985, a Cenaclul Flacăra show was held in Ploiești on a football stadium; during the show, a part of the stand collapsed and the spectators panicked trying to run, leading to a stampede which killed 5 people and wounded several more.[4]

During the investigation following the accident, the investigators found in the stands objects that were deemed "less patriotic"; according to writer Norman Manea, there were "bras, vodka bottles, underwear, wine, beer, champagne, more underwear, bras and condoms".[4]

The Ploiești accident led to the end of Păunescu's career, despite the intervention of Nicolae Ceaușescu's son, Nicu Ceaușescu. One of the main reason was that the "moral profile" of the participants was far from the models that were promoted by the Union of Communist Youth.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mihai, Dana (November 5, 2010). "Cenaclul Flacăra condus de Păunescu a fost interzis în 1985, în urma unui incident petrecut pe stadionul din Ploieşti". Adevărul. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Burakowski, p. 204
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ion, Raluca (November 5, 2010). "Lumini şi umbre. La Cenaclul Flacăra, Păunescu era zeul care putea aduce apa caldă mulţimii. Plus: scrisoare către Ceauşescu: "Să trăiţi, Măria Voastră!"". Gândul. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Burakowski, p. 327

References