Socialist statuary as post-socialist hybrids: Following the statues of Dr Petru Groza in Romania
Authors: Light, D. and Young, C.
Journal: Journal of Historical Geography
Volume: 37
Issue: 4
Pages: 493-501
eISSN: 1095-8614
ISSN: 0305-7488
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhg.2011.07.002
Abstract:This paper is concerned with the post-socialist lives of Communist statues. While acknowledging that post-socialist transformation frequently involves searching for new identities based on the disavowal of the communist past and the de-communisation of cultural landscapes, the paper stresses the importance of exploring complex continuities from the state-socialist period. This is illustrated by a case study of the fates of three socialist-era statues of the Romanian Communist leader Dr Petru Groza which were erected in Bucharest, Deva and Bâcia. The paper examines how these socialist-era statues have been de- and re-contextualised, translated and re-valued into 'post-socialist hybrids.' The analysis explores the complexities of the historical geographies of these statues after 1989, particularly the way that they continue to play a role in the shaping of identities, societies and politics. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Source: Scopus
Preferred by: Duncan Light