Practising Immortality: Schemes for Conquering ‘Time’ during the Ceauşescu Era

Abstract

AbstractThis article analyses the relationship between time, charisma, and the personality cult devoted to Nicolae Ceauşescu in communist Romania. It attempts to explore what schemes and devices were used in order to construct his image as a national leader and how time and charisma were dealt with within the process. Ceauşescu was obsessed with both carving a prominent place for himself in the national pantheon and shaping his posthumous image. This involved, first, the construction of his image in historical perspective – Ceauşescu was portrayed as the last and most important in a long lineage of national heroes. Second, it required an emphasis on the relationship between Ceauşescu and the masses. Third, it meant an attempt at mastering time – at delivering an image of Ceauşescu that would survive the passage of time unaltered. By investigating three mechanisms of cult production (stadium celebrations, architectural construction, and the medium of painting) this paper explores the relationship between constructed charisma, the creation of a national hero, and the issue of time within Ceauşescu's personality cult.