Nicolae Ceaușescu: Charisma, Cult, and Collapse

Nicolae Ceaușescu is a paradoxical figure. He began as a reformer and national hero who distanced himself from the Soviet bloc — and ended up one of Europe’s most notorious dictators. His rule is a lesson in how charisma can become a weapon, and a personality cult — a tragicomedy in full view of the world.

At our event, you’ll learn:

● How Ceaușescu built the image of the “Father of the Nation”
● Why the West applauded him in the 1970s
● How the cult of personality functioned in the Romanian context
● What “socialism with a national face” meant
● Why his final speech became a symbol of the dictatorship’s downfall
● How dictators become prisoners of their own myths

The talk will be led by historian and political scientist Egor Yakovlev.