András Mink and Attila Ara-Kovács: Life in Ceaușescu’s Romania

In connection with the exhibition The Tactless Photojournalist. The Archive of Lajos Erdélyi from the Ceaușescu Era, on view until October 26, the Archivum is organizing a series of accompanying programs. Between September 11 and October 26, 2025, together with writers, filmmakers, and photo historians, we will evoke the worlds that appear in the photographs—or what they conceal. Our guests will include Zsolt Láng, Gábor Vida, Kinga Júlia Király, Klára Szarka, and Lenke Szilágyi. As the sixth event in the eight-part program series titled From a Certain Distance, historian András Mink and philosopher Attila Ara-Kovács will discuss what life was like in Ceaușescu's Romania.

András Mink and Attila Ara-Kovács: Life in Ceaușescu’s Romania
Discussion and analysis using guest texts

András Mink, a researcher of the Cold War era, and Attila Ara-Kovács, a Transylvanian philosopher, journalist, and editor, will evoke and analyze the period from 1965 to 1989 using film excerpts, photographs, newspaper articles, and literary passages. What were the conditions of everyday life in Ceaușescu’s Romania? What characterized the political and social relations of the era, and what led to the collapse of the regime? How did the generation before World War II—such as that of Lajos Erdélyi—experience this period, and how is all of this reflected (or not) in the pages of Új Élet, the journal edited by András Sütő, and in the reportage photography of Lajos Erdélyi?

The event will be held in Hungarian.

Participation in the program is free of charge, but registration is required.
Registration link: https://forms.office.com/e/akeV98gncM