In a Nutshell - Romania

Herastrau Park, Bucharest - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Scott Sturman

Impaling, where the victim is lashed spread eagle and a sharp stake is driven from the perineum upward until it exits at the shoulder, was the preferred method of torture and intimidation of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century Romanian who is the basis of the legend of Dracula.  With the shaft firmly in place it was rotated to the vertical position and fixed in the ground.  Due to the proximity of vital organs, an amateur easily could misdirect the stake and bring suffering to a premature conclusion.  An expert like Vlad aimed the implement posterior to the peritoneum and thorax, so it emerged between the rib cage and the scapula.  By avoiding crucial anatomic structures, a long agonizing death was guaranteed.

Vlad, the Impaler

Romania, slightly smaller in area than Wyoming, is home to over 21 million people.  Like most countries of eastern Europe the population is in decline due to low birthrates and a stagnant economy.  Nearly nine of ten Romanians identify themselves as Christian Orthodox, albeit the church’s influence is waning especially among the young.

As a general rule, as one follows the Danube down stream per capita income falls.  Economies are plagued with graft, corruption, and red tape, which significantly impede the free market business climate.  The rule of law, property rights, competitive business practices, and meritocracy lag in Romania, owing in large part to three centuries of Turkish oppression followed by the brutal Communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. 

Bucharest - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Other than his countryman Vlad, Nicolae Ceausescu generates the most interest among tourists.  The son of an impoverished alcoholic, Nicolae trained as an apprentice cobbler.  His big break in life occurred when he fortuitously shared a jail cell with Gheorghe Gheorghiu, the leader of Romanian Communist Party.  Ceausescu became Gheorghiu’s protege and upon his death in 1965 assumed control of the Romanian Communist Party and government.

Palace of the Parliament - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Although Ceausescu did not physically impale his countrymen, he subjected them to profound physical deprivation and political repression.  In 1982 he decided to pay off Romania’s considerable foreign debt, and over the ensuing years starved his people to death by diverting nearly all industrial and agricultural production to this goal.  As with most Communists, he was enamored with public works projects which appeared impressive but garnered poor returns on investment.  The unfinished canal connecting Bucharest with the Danube and the Palace of the Parliament, which at 3.7 million square feet of opulent excess is the largest civilian administrative building in the world, are testaments to his grandiose schemes.  

Bucharest - photo by JoAnn Sturman

For a brief period after the departure of the Turks, the Romanian elite became infatuated with all things French.  The evidence of these times can be found in the capital, Bucharest, with its wide avenues, beautifully constructed public buildings and private residences, and spacious parks.  Signs advertising multinational companies can be seen everywhere.  The capital is clean and safe for walking the streets at night.  It bustles with youthful energy and is home to the world’s largest Hard Rock Cafe.

Danube River - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Romania has an abundance of fertile land and has been a breadbasket since the time of the Roman Empire.  Since the construction of locks on the Danube, the notoriously fickle river has been tamed, making navigation safer and more predictable and profitable.  A member of NATO since 2004 and the EU in 2007, Romania’s future would be considerably brighter if not for its politicians, who can’t seem to learn that socialism and crony capitalism can nullify a country’s natural advantages. 

 Hard Rock Cafe, Bucharest - photo by JoAnn Sturman