CONDITIONS IN BRASOV ORASUL STALIN)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500820092-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 92
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006ID'S (3 : CIA-RDP80-00809AO00500820092-6
CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
sUbJECT Conditions in Brasov Orasul Stalin)
25X1
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THIS is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE CISTR, L~Y May 1954
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. Current political heads in Bragov are Col(,fnu/ ualusek, comInner of L'uv 1va:4M1 --
tatea and Major Ln}7 Condurache, commandant of the local militia. Oalusek
lives at Dealul Spires Street 266. Neither one of the men is a Rumanian,
and Condurache has adopted an old Rumanian name to hide his real nationality.
2. Troops in the city include two4nfantry regiments, in barracks near the
Partizanul Rosu factory, on the Boulevard Lenin, on Strada Lungs and on Strad"
Mibai Viteazul; two mountain regiments, outside the city; a mountain artillery
regiment at Rasnov, and the 17th Bomber Regiment at the airfield.
3. Although Brasov was renames Orasul Stalin on Stalin's birthday in, 1949, no one in
the town uses anything but the old name. The place now has a population of
170,000. Under the Communist regime it has lost its former gaiety and food
is short. There is a general fear of deportation. By the beginning of 1953,
about 20,000 persons had been deported as "socially undesirable elements", and
only those rated as harmless were removed to Mieroureu Ciuc.
4. The first thing one sees in Brasov Is the Cetatzuia prison for political
prisoners, d four-story building on Cetatzuia hill. The neighborhood is guarded
by the Securitatea, and traffic around the building is forbidden. The place
piQbly has underground torture chambers; details about this are not to be had
fro>re few people who have been released from the place, they say nothing
after tsir release and avoid contacts with their friends.
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CON?IDENTIAL
5. The old railroad station was bombed out durin, World War II and the new one is decidedly
shabby. From it the lines:rqn out to the factories of era:jov and its neighoorhoou.
Near the station are the modern railroad shops. Before the station stand only a few
taxis and horse-drawn droshkys. Because of the high fares, they are used almost ex-
clusively by Communist functionaries.
6. In the town there are six bus lines, with 15 buses altogether, 10 of which are Czech
Skodas, bought in 1952. The remainder, of various makes. are over age. They are
always overcrowded, with 200 passengers inoteed of the 40 tbe7 are avppose4 to talcs,
A ticket costs 0.50 leu.
7. The main street of the city, formerly called Regele Carol Street is now Lenin Street.
It runs through the town to the edge, where a huge monument to Stalin has been
erected. Midway along it there is a big unfinished building, intended for propaganda
meetings. When it was three-quarters complete, it was found the t the ce. cu-'a-lions on
it were wrong, and it has never been finished. Lenin Street is crossed by Karl Marx,
formerly Strada Vamii. Here, in the building formerly occupied by the German
National Union are the offices of the regional organization of the Communist Party.
8. Near the ARO Palace- Hotel; the. atreets.:aometimesa change :their,name-, beavaing Strada 7
November. Here in the building of the former savings bank, are the offices of the
ARLUS (Association for Soviet-Rumanian Friendship) and the offices of the labor
unions. Farther along are the offices of the state bank, the investment bank and the
Sovrom bank. At the corner of Strada.7 November and Sfantul Ion Street are militia
headquarters. The Securitatea offices are near the city baths, Strada Prundului and
on the market place.
9. In Bra o,v th re,eare`five hotels, only three of which are open to the public--Hotel
ARO Mace, Hotel Coroana and Hotel ARO Sport. The other two are the Cerul Militar,
>...,. 120 Q2.nak
which is an oiiioera` uuairio, and Litt Hu6t:l X,v""CVa *4! ii"+ ' ww.?..+
children. The ARO Palace, at the corner of.StaTlin Street and Strada 7 November, is
a quite new nine-story building, reserved for Party functionaries and foreign
visitors. The best rooms are cleared for foreign visitors,; and-those wh6 lire in
them are moved to others, or to-,;other hbt61,Aj='rio iaatter`whaL Party rank they have.
The hotels are managed by the state. In a first-class hotel the prices are 2P leu
for a single room and 42 leu for a double; in second-class hotels 20 and 30 leu. A
luxury hotel was built in iy51 at the Poiana Stalin for the Ski Olympics. Shortly
afterward it burned. There were stories that it had been set afire by some of those
concerned in the construction to hide the evidence of embezzlement during the build-
ing; and, many arrests were made.
10. There are only a few restaurants open, since the state managements cannot keep their
prices down to the level of the falling standard of living. The restaurants fall in
three categories: the luxury class with a price of 50-100 leu a meal, visited only
by the. new Communist aristocracy; Class A, wheE'e_25 to 35 leu is the price of a very
ordinary meal and Class B, where the food is almost'inedible and the prices 10 to 20
leu Most of the factories maintain canteens for their workers.
11. The famous pastry shops are now state undertakings, but have a very limited patronage,
singe only a few even of the Communist aristocracy are willing.-to pay 1.50 to 2.50
leu for,.a tiny cake.
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12. Bra$qov has .a state theater, directed by the famous actor of the old regime, Misu
Fotino. Pieces by Cssragiale are played frequently.
13. The 'avvies show mostly stereotyped Soviet propaganda films, which leave, the
houses almost empty., ?Those who attend these filers are rprkers who have been
forced to buy tickets-b their:vnions or other organisations. When a Czech,
Polish or German film with leas. propaganda cones along, the places are jammed.
14. Consumption of alcohol in Bragov has grown markedly.
15. The churches are filled on Sundays, in spite of CosommIst propaganda, and in spite
of the fact that-many priests have vanished.
16. Brafov has an engineering school and an agricultural institute. Courses last
three years.
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addition to two clinics, are reserved for Party functionaries and the army.
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