Timisoara declared 'the first city free of communism in Romania', marked by Freedom Gala

On the 35th anniversary of the Revolution, the city of Timisoara commemorates on Tuesday the first 66 demonstrators in the city who died for freedom during the events of December 1989.A memorial service for the martyred heroes was held at the Metropolitan Cathedral, as part of the bishop's liturgy.   The Municipality of Timisoara honours the memory of the December 1989 Revolution and martyr heroes, on Friday, at the Freedom Gala, through a multimedia theater performance on the Opera House stage, which will be attended by diplomats and officials representing 15 countries from four continents."It is a true honour to welcome in Timisoara high-ranking officials from 15 countries, who will come to honour the courage and sacrifice of the people of Timisoara, on a day that changed the history of Romania. It is no coincidence that we chose December 20 for this gala: 35 years ago, Timisoara became the first city free of communism, opening the country's European path," says Mayor Dominic Fritz in a press release on Tuesday.Among the participants at the gala will be H.E. Giles Matthew Portman, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Willemijn van Haaften, Ambassador of the Netherlands, and Victor Chirila, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova.France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay will be represented. Other participants will include representatives from the cities of Timisoara and delegations from Chernivtsi, Karlsruhe, Novi Sad, Palermo and Rueil-Malmaison.The artistic event will be a journey through time that illustrates why the Revolution started in Timisoara - a living city that belongs to all its inhabitants, always bustling with a special energy.December 20, 1989 is the day on which Timisoara declared itself free of communism, becoming the first Romanian city to liberate itself from the authoritarian regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. This gala is an opportunity to reflect on the struggle for freedom in 1989 and to assess how the values of that era are reflected in Timisoara today.Renowned authors in the stage art world: the director Adrian Sitaru, the scenographers Adrian Damian and Viorica Petrovici, the Psihodrom troupe and Horia Crisovan will take to the Opera stage.