Ceaușescu forced a divorce! How the dictator got into Roman life – Event of the Day

George the Apostle, his main enemy Nicolae Ceau in the role of party leader, he would be forced to divorce. Ceaușescu would not have had a well-founded reason to expel him from the Romanian Communist Party and would have taken care of his personal life.

After the death of Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej, Apostle Gheorghe was sure that he would be successful in leading the Romanian Workers’ Party. He believed he met all the criteria the party needed: he had a working-class background, was illegal and had spent several years in prison together to George Dej.

The apostle relied on a verbal promise made by his friend Dej before he died. At the same time, he hoped that he would receive support from his old companions from the illegal: Ion Gheorghe Maurer, Chivu Stoica, Emil Bodnăraș.

However, he underestimated the young Nicolae Ceaușescu, who held the position of secretary with organizational problems – ie second place in the hierarchy of the Romanian Workers’ Party. To the Apostle’s surprise, Nicolae Ceaușescu, through behind-the-scenes arrangements, convinced the heavy weights of the party to support him and, therefore, she ended up at the head of the Romanian Workers’ Party.

Photo source EVZ Archive

Ceaușescu wanted to get rid of Gheorghe Apostol

That is why the Apostle believed that he had been wronged and later showed a strong revenge towards Ceaușescu. For his part, Ceaușescu was sure that the Apostle would give him problems, that he would criticize him, that he would oppose the projects he started. So it was decided to remove him from political life. Couldn’t link to the political file (an ex-lawyer, many years ago prison). So it was related to personal life.

Ceaușescu did not like Apostol’s third wife – an opera soloist – and asked for a divorce. As expected, Apostle George “Ghiță” refused divorce. For Ceaușescu, it was a reason to separate Apostol from other members of the party leadership.

He was forbidden to come with his wife

Apostol Gheorghe: “As a rule, on the night before August 23, a festive gathering was held and on August 23, military and civil demonstrations were held. In the morning of August 22, Ceaușescu called me to the party. Maurer was also present. Ceaușescu told me: “Comrade Apostol, we want to discuss a delicate matter with you.” “See you!” “You don’t have to come to the gathering tonight with your wife.”

“Well, why? Every member of the Politburo knows that I have a wife. How can I not come?!… Everyone comes with their wives and I don’t come?! What do the members of the Political Bureau say? What do their wives say?” “We’ll talk after August 23rd!” I came home, I told my wife that it is not appropriate to go to the gathering of the festival, to stay quietly at home. She was alone at Tearul de Operetta and had taken the evening of August 22 off. But he went and sang in the evening when he had time off.

Nicolae Ceau. Photo source: EVZ Archive

And the anger that was on him has definitely passed. August 23 passed. I’m going to see Ceausescu.” We will discuss the issue you said we need to discuss after August 23rd”. “Well, now we don’t have time”… And “went” for a few months. I didn’t leave him at all. So he said to me: “Go and talk to Maurer!” “I went to Maurer, to the Council of Ministers. Maurer: “What is it, me?” “Why… wasn’t my wife allowed to come to the holiday gathering on August 23rd? It’s been so many months and you don’t want to clean things up?” “I don’t have time now”. And then I cursed him in Moldavian and he said: “You’re a big boy and you don’t you take care of the servants anymore! I’m ready to serve you!” And I left.

What Nicolae Ceaușescu said about Apostle George’s wife

After my conversation with Maurer, I will be called to a meeting of the Permanent Presidium. Ceausescu sat at the head of the table. Chivu Stoica, Bodnaraș, Drăghici and Maurer [care era primul- ministru] they were also present. I was in the middle. And Ceausescu raised my wife’s question. That my wife was promoted to the Operetta Theater because she is my wife. In the same way, abroad, she did not receive any awards according to her merits, except for the fact that she is the wife of a former Romanian prime minister. Then Drăghici spoke [care era ministrul de intene și șeful Securității]…

He said “on the basis of specific information” that my wife was promoted to Operetta starting from a gypsy bar. That she was at a music competition in Toulouse where she won second prize because she was my wife. Then he sang at Paris Television and Radio. After the presentation, the Romanian ambassador organized a small meal in the presence of President de Gaulle’s brother. And, with my wife’s pressure, the ambassador had to give champagne and black roe to the guests.

Of course I had to intervene. It is not true that he played in a violin band. After completing the Conservatory, she was hired by the Musical Theatre. In Operetta, he participated in an open competition and got the highest grades. That’s how he hired her [tenorul] Ion Dacian as a soloist in an Operetta. And in Toulouse it was a personal journey. It did not go at the expense of the state, it was not sent by the Ministry of Culture. [Soprana] Arta Florescu really wanted to participate in this competition and she ran with her at home. She was invited to French Television because she was good.

They argued very loudly

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have invited her. After Drăghici, Chivu Stoica intervened. That he found out in a conversation he had in Ploiesti with some companions that my wife was baptized by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu – the leader of the legionnaires. That is why her name is Codreanu. I answered him on the spot: “Hey, Chivule, Dej told me many times that you are a big liar. How can you tell such a lie? Me, you’re ruining yourself! I can’t stand looking at you anymore. I didn’t expect such a situation from you!”

Bodnaraş intervened, who was next to me and received a personnel file from Constanța Crăciun – Ministry of Culture. The first statement in the file was from Dacian, the director of the Operetta Theatre. The second one – especially set – was from an untalented soloist from the Operetta, who often said some nasty things to my wife. I asked Bodnaraş to read the content of Dacian’s statement. “You read it yourself, because you brought it here!” There was a special thanks to my wife. And as a professional activity, but also as an activity on the public line – that she was the president of the union.

Nicolae Ceaușescu wanted to separate them

And seeing the atmosphere, I realized that these people want me to separate from my wife. I asked myself: “Comrade Ceausescu, do you want me to divorce my wife?” “There are!” “And you, the others, the same?” “There are!” I then asked to be given 48 hours to think. I went to Timiş and stayed there for two nights and days and decided to write a letter to Ceauşescu, in which I said: “If my marriage with Adriana Codreanu goes against my actions on the party and state line, I give them up and go to Valea Jiului to work as a miner”.

Ceaușescu took the letter, read it and said to me: “Dear Gita, stay with your wife!” And the problem is closed. After this meeting, when I went to Politburo meetings, I would say “good morning” or “good afternoon” and almost no one responded. If I felt cold until then, after this case the cold felt more”, aptly Radar.