AGERPRES photo exhibition about 1989 Revolution, at Council House of Brasov

The "Romanian Revolution of December 1989 - 30 years," including images of AGERPRES' Photo Archive, was opened at the Council House of Brasov on Friday, as part of an event organised by the County Museum of History. The event of the museum also included the opening of the exhibition "A few moments of freedom," presenting Florin Man's photographs collection. "There are two dear exhibitions, because I believe that any exhibition devoted to such an important historic moment, which has marked and continues to mark our lives - December 1989 - can only be dear to our hearts. There are much to say about December 1989, but I believe that, using maybe a cliche, a photograph says as much as a book and here we have photographs speaking very much about our life, our heroes, about what Romania means, about what others wanted Romania to mean, about our future. I am glad that the County Museum has managed to join, alongside other prestigious cultural institutions nationwide and abroad, some exhibitions devoted to the 1989 moment," Brasov County Museum of History Director Nicolae Pepene said on the occasion. Referring to the exhibition with images from the AGERPRES Archive, Pepene labelled it as "a treasure of photography," highlighting that the role of such an action is extremely important as "beyond books, it triggers emotions, it brings questions to the minds of children." "Last night, while setting up the exhibition, the one in front of the Council House, a family passed us by. They weren't from Brasov, they looked at the photos, it was cold, they were almost in a hurry, nevertheless the child was asking questions. Although 30 years have passed, we are somehow history. The County Museum of History somehow answers these questions due to a friend institution, to some people working in this institution," Pepene said.     AGERPRES Director General Claudia Nicolae spoke about some of the exhibited photographs. "I would like to speak a bit about my photojournalist colleagues, who, together with the heroes of the Revolution, were also heroes. They didn't know what would happen the next day with the photos they were taking in those moments, they didn't know if they would ever get back home, however, moved by that spirit of freedom, they were aware that it was a moment they must enjoy and, more than that, capture that joy on the photo rolls. If we take a look at the exhibition, we can see what freedom means. It is what was felt back then by journalists, as well as by the people who took to the streets without any shade of fear. (...) At that moment, only the photojournalists who went to the Ceausescus' events had colour rolls. By accident, a photojournalist had been with Ceausescu on a hunting trip one day before. This was his luck, he still had some positions left on the colour roll, which afterwards became history," the AGERPRES Director General said. In respect to the "A few moments of freedom exhibition," it represents "a source for going back in history" for the one who took the pictures, Florin Man. "My idea was for these images to come back to Brasov, as they belong to Brasov and its inhabitants, because they represent those moments when they felt free and made the connection (...) with the Revolution of 1848. Because, in 1989, the workers who were coming from the industrial platforms and had a proclamation, with free elections, the cessation of the communist regime - same as the abolishment of serfdom in 1848 - that crowd chanted the same, Heavenly Father, on their knees, united by faith and solidarity, which have never manifested so wonderfully," Florin Man stressed, showing that thanks to the digital technique the photos taken then, on rolls of poor quality, could be restored. The series of events devoted to the 1989 Revolution, organised by the Brasov County Museum of History, has started with the audioguide launched on Monday, together with Radio Romania Cultural radio station, called "Once upon a time there was communism" and will end on Sunday, with the launching of a graphic novel album having as theme the events of December 1989, created under the aegis of the Museum. AGERPRES (RO - author: Diana Dumitru, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Adina Panaitescu, editor: Rodica State)

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