CONDITIONS IN BRASOV (ORASUL STALIN)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01036R000200050084-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 84
• Publication Date: May 24, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000200050084-6
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U.S. Officials Only
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SUBJECT Cbaditions in Brasov (Orasul Stalin)
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18. SECTIONS 79S
AND 7N4. OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO ON RECEIPT SV AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
DATE DISTR. P. 5t }sy 1954
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. Current t o1iticalJiepds in Brasov are Coioau7 Ga] eek, commander of the local Seouri-
tatea and Nkjor Lfnu,/ Condurache, cos andaat of the local militia. 25X1
Neither one of the men is a Rumanian,.
and Cosduraohe has adopted an old Rumanian nacre to hide his real nationality.
2. Troops in the city Include two infantry regiments, in barracks sear the
partisanil Roan factory, on the Boulevard Lenin, on Strada Lunge and on Strada
>1111ihai Viteazul; two lountain regiments, outside the city; a mountain artillery
regiment at lasnov, and the 17th Bomber Regiment at the airfield.
Although Brafov was
the'. town uses
170,000. ibnder the
is short: There is
about 20,000 persons
only those rated as
"named Orasul Stalin on Stalin's birthday in,1949, no one in
but the old name. The place now has a population of
commist regime it has lost its former gaiety and food
general fear of deportation. By the beginning of 1953,
had been deported as "socially undesirable elements"., and
ens were removed to itiercurea Ciuc.
4. The first thing one 'sses in Brajov is the Cetatsuia prison for political
prisoners, a four-story building on Cstatzuia hill. The ne orhood is guarded
the Securitatea,and traffic around the building is forbidden. The place'
ly has undsrgrlound torture chambers; details about this are not to.be had
few people who have been released from the place, they say nothing
after-W7 release and avoid contacts with their friends.
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
vbbm &a Ertmem !' C R ,l . mWauing All* de ASSMSWSS: DEaeer.E of (ie GA (1lbti im ad D aea awo.1 C -A_ [
hII*..LA Jul !a u..J 61 the bo~r I S$iU ZS SS) 5 * luccllia i.u5 j aE lyS ECCiilfiE~ &SL6MEDIS rewAift ieriiml &A Ls 04
Kati. ~
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5. The old railroad station was bombed out during World .War II and the new one is 4eoidedly
shabby. pros it the'li ? .L }n out to the factories of t~raOov and its neighborhood.
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
8.
Skodas, bought in 19 . The remainder, of various makes, are over age. They are
4is,7s ov roz 4x4, th 100 psuoeprs instNd of the 40 they srs X04 to asks.
A ticket costs 0.50 eut.
The main street of the city, formerly called Regale Carol Street is now Lenin Street.
It runs through the town to the edge, where a huge monument to Stalin has been
erected. Midway clog it there is a big unfinished building, intended for propaganda
meetings. When it w s three-quarters complete, it was found that the calculations on
it were wrong, and is has never been finished. Lenin Street is crossed by Karl Marx,
formerly Strada rani. Here, in the building formerly occupied by the German
National Onion are a offices of the regional organization of the Communist Party.
N W, e t .cps] l -JEOtea4lebbot &&m my a s. ism 6401 Strada 7
November. Ere in tie building of the former savings bank, are the offices of the
ARM (Association for Soviet-Rumanian Friendship) and the offices of the labor
unions. Parther 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 Sicuritatea offices are near the city baths, Strada Prundulul and
on the market place.'
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9. In ha- Q at eVie'' ve hotels, only three of which are open to the public--Hotel
110 Mace, Hotel Co oana and Hotel 1R0 Sport. the other two are the Cerul Militar,
which is an officersl casino, and the Hotel pvr4 sh :houses 120
children. The ARC Palace, at the corner otu *bh Street # Ad Strada 7 lovember, is
a quite new nine-story building, reserved for Party functionaries and foreign
visitors. The best.. rooms are cleared for foreign Jew, is, and -those= walks a in
them are roved to others, or tets'tt* l at iNi 1s at Party rank they have.
The hotels a re by the state. In a first-class hotel the prices are 2R feu
fens single roam 42 lea for a double; in second-class hotels 20 and 30 leu. A
luxury hotel was bul t in 1951 at the Poiapa Stalin for the Sk Olympics. Shortly
ffterward.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;. quad. R arrests were -nude.
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
t categories: the luxury class with a price of 50-100 lsu a meal, visited only
by ;thsl,new Communist aristocracy; Class A, wh4,2 to 35 Ian is the price of a very
ordinary seal and Class B, where the food is almos `inedible and the prices 10 to 20
IOU . Most: :of the falctories maintain canteens for their workers.
11. a famous pastry ps are now state undertakings, but have a very limited patronage,
only a few even of the Communist aristocracy are wiUing 4' pay 1.50 to 2.50
1eu #0#,.a tiny sake. I
,hd
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000200050084-6
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000200050084-6
OC PIDUTIAL
t."10 Wily, !1 "Id the n
deu1
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12. ~'~! bas statetor, dirsetod by the -fahotu'actor of the old re e, Miss
'~-si `i sS a s sr -Dla freananth _
13. 'Die 1-1 '
1- ao"'s ohm imbifty S'Urs?t' id
8aviet Drbpspnds tiLY ti=,bbe
hoes
ost
a h
DtT who shard "woo : fum 'arr. wirfleri's STS :birM
e
!i~'Sod 'fs 'ism tielott tlro r- ear or other orpgisstions. >
a asrdb,
Pelisb or Gerasx till with lass, propsgsnda salsa a2o6, the ;law are :ms d.
14. O tisa or alcohol In.-'p qov has S ?srhedh
15. 'D s .ob'E'sbes a;e fi1$ed - on Sundays, In spite of Cosrmist I rope a4u, ssd in spite
of the fast tb4t - priests bars Vanished.
16. # sr bas an #nS -school and an agrisaltu al Institute. Owrses isst
yrsrs. ,
17. Vilw she hospitals is narked. Of tbs tour hospitals, the two, beds, ' in
addition be Iwo s1ln4,os t ,are reserved for Marty t'rrstionarios sad. bu S ;s4;
1-1;1.1 ';
.1 i.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP81-01036R000200050084-6
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