Gendered Memories of Romanian Communism: Between Recuperative Activism and Ambiguous Nostalgia

• In Event: Contesting the Memory of Romanian Communism: Gender, Ethnicity, and Law in Post-Communist Mnemonic Struggles

Abstract

The paper examines current competing memories of women’s private experiences under socialism by focusing on the dire consequences that the regime’s repressive pro-natalist policies had on women, their families, and the society at large. However, these traumatic memories are significantly challenged by an increasing influence of transnational and national religiously conservative actors. To illustrate this tension, we explore the work of two distinctive mnemonic actors engaged in the transmission of gendered memories of socialism through digitally mediated sites. The first is represented by a group of volunteers engaged in civic activism, who participated since 2019 in the digital project Jurnalul Decretului (The Diary of the Decree). By collecting and disseminating the testimonies of individuals who experienced or witnessed first-hand the harsh realities of Decree 770 of 1966, their stated goal is to use these life stories as a warning sign of the potential impact that current restrictive reproductive policies could have on women and their communities. The second, refers to the controversial documentary series Adevăruri despre Trecut (Truths About the Past) launched by public television (TVR) in 2015 and subsequently posted on the YouTube digital platform. Its attempt to revive some of the forgotten and allegedly positive aspects of daily lives in socialism stirred mixed reactions among the viewers. In examining the two sites of remembering a special emphasis is placed on the intergenerational transmission of this past.

Author

• Monica Ciobanu, SUNY Plattsburgh