ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

112Gabriel Silviu Lohonminte/o fată ca un lujer şi-n cuget cu bujori/De-atunci trecură anii cu zborul lorfierbinte - /azi o numim Elena şi-o-nconjurăm cu flori“ 1 .The following lines best summarize the above-mentioned image:“Figura-i luminată de ochi ce văd departe/un dar frumos al harniceinaturi,/şi blânda energie ivită-n trăsături,/e un model perpetuu pentru arte.“ 2In 1937, Lenuţa Petrescu became a member of the RomanianCommunist Party which was still operating underground activities. Her strongpersonality and her aspect fascinated Nicolae Ceauşescu. On August 13, 1939,during a communist fiesta, Lenuţa Petrescu was chosen the reine of the ball.During the next years, this type of award did not seem to please her very much,as the title did not appeal to her revolutionary upsurge. Consequently, the ballwas to be replaced by labour, and the obliging journalists declared LenuţaPetrescu “the Reine of Labour” 3 . After a long period of friendship, LenuţaPetrescu married Nicolae Ceauşescu, but their particular life will not beaccessible for the Romanians. When it came to women 4 , Nicolae Ceauşescudiscussed only in positive terms:“Ele au jucat un rol activ în reuşita izbânzilor democratice şi înînvingerea marilor greutăţi în care s-a găsit România“ 5 .This statement perfectly matched his wife's “revolutionary” beliefs andinterests which legitimized her entrance on the political stage in communistRomania.The sentimental and erotic scheme, which is the base of their love story,is enclosed in the permanent context of the “class struggle” and “theimprisonment of the young underground communist.” The fiancée of the “firstman of the country” distinguished herself as a totally pure person, like apriceless object and amongst the revolutionary headlines. For example, the scentof a tear-exciting sitcom ensues from one of Corneliu Ionescu’s representations(see photo) 6 .1 Andrei Ciurunga, Istorie in Gânduri şi flori, Eminescu Publishing House, 1984, p. 189-190.2 Virgil Teodorescu in Scânteia, January 7, 1984.3 The basis of the entire biographycal periplus I expose here is Thomas Kunze’s book,Nicolae Ceauşescu. A biography, Bucureşti, Vremea Publishing House, 2002.4 I mention here the example of Ana Toma, Gheorghe Pintilie’s wife (PantelimonBodnarenko), the head of the Securitate. She will be very influential upon the Romanian politicsby the end of the 60’s of the 20 th century. Her double mission as a Securitate agent and also aN. K. V. D. agent was analyzed by Denis Deletant in Ceauşescu şi Securitatea, Bucureşti,Humanitas Publishing House, 1998.5 Nicolae Ceauşescu, Istoria poporului român, Bucureşti, 1988, p. 360.6 Corneliu Ionescu, La ieşirea din lagăr, ulei pe pânză, nedatat, 89 x 118 cm.