Ilie Tudor (en)

The silence before the storm

On the red, plush, carpeted stairs, my feet sank comfortably and gently. I climbed up, held by the hands of two strong young men, who took me by the arms and placed me in front of a massive, very elegant desk, behind which a man of about fifty, with a white left eyelash – a detail I should remember – was biting his pen thoughtfully. A sign and I was alone with Colonel Socol, the Securitate commander of Dolja in 1958. “So you are Ilie Tudor?” I looked at him carefully. A choleric face with cold, spiteful eyes was staring […]

Ilie Tudor’s prisons

He was 35 years old when he was arrested by the communist authorities. Sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment, he passed through the hell of Craiova, Aiud and Balta Brăilei prisons. There he had the opportunity to meet the titans of Romanian theology and culture: Father Dumitru Stăniloae, Radu Gyr, Nichifor Crainic and Petre Țuțea. Today, at the age of 87, Ilie Tudor is proud of his memories. He has even been awarded the Patriarchal Cross for laymen. For the people of Podari, Ilie Tudor is already a legend. He is the type of the authentic Oltean, a lover of art, […]

The trial

On 4 April 1959 they put us on trial. 4 April! Fifteen years ago, we took our exams, a day when Bucharest was bombarded with indescribable fury. The night before, I had a revealing dream, which I later explained. I was in church and on the sacred altar table I counted 22 candles, 6 of which were burning. I was sentenced to 22 years in prison, of which I served 6. A prophetic dream! At six in the morning, as never before, Colonel Socol came “downstairs”, took me out into the corridor and said: – See that you are on […]

This is how it began… the ordeal

The December morning of that year, 1958, which marked the cruel turning point in my life, was clear and cold. The snow that had fallen in abundance overnight had not yet fallen, and the village streets seemed deserted. Nevertheless, the black tarpaulin gas made its way smoothly and surely to the grove at the foot of the hill. Three elegant civilians climbed down and crept towards the gate, which opened reluctantly, held back by the soft snow. The dog was still breaking the chain. I stepped out, annoyed and surprised to see the bold men, who, without shouting or knocking, […]