CEU eTD Collection S TATE In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master ofArts Master of degree the for oftherequirements fulfillment In partial /C Department of Sociology Socio-Anthropology and of Department Sociology ITIZENS R OMANIAN Supervisors: Professor Judit Bodnar Central European University European Central I O Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Professor Daniel Monterescu NTERSECTION IN N Florin Poenaru B B Submitted to Submitted 2007 ALCONY By LOC OF F LATS A S OCIALIST CEU eTD Collection unfold in a Romanian neighborhood built inthe 1980’s. they as it, to attached practices everyday the and balconies, regular of people’s view point the from citizens and state the between relationship the byscrutinizing view analytic the balances paper of the part second The citizens. and State between intersection official the expressed and purposes ideological served particular in balconies, and general, in discourse, architectural official the how pinpointing by style, Ceausescu’s to and developments underpinned the functions of balconies from itsbourgeois emergence, to Lenin’s revolutionary architecture, Stalinist that conceptions architectural different contrasts and examines paper of the part first the matter, that For citizens. architecture by suggesting that the socialist balcony lies atthe intersection between socialist the State and its This paperinquiries into socialthe functions, meanings and ideologies specific tobalconiesthe in socialist Abstract ii CEU eTD Collection 7. References...... 80 ...... 70 6. Annexes 5. Conclusion...... 65 4. View from the Balcony of ...... 39 a Socialist Block 3. Architectural Discourses and Balconies...... 20 2. The Balcony: intersection of four theoretical fields...... 7 1. Introduction...... 1 4.11. Memory vs. instrumentality...... 63 4.10. A la recherche du balcon perdu...... 62 4.9. The art of enclosing ...... 60 the balcony 4.8. The hub of the informal networks...... 57 4.7...... 54 People like us 4.6. Saving the facade ...... 53 of the regime 4.5. Peasants to be...... 52 reformed 4.4. The absence-presence of balcony...... 48 4.3. Kitchen with a view...... 47 4.2. The art of storing scarce food...... 46 4.1. The wind or the importance of local knowledge...... 44 Methodology...... 39 3.4. Ceausescu’s ...... 30 Political Balcony 3.3 Stalin’s Regime: the “petite-bourgeois dictatorship”...... 27 3.2. Leninist Revolutionary ...... 23 Architecture 3.1. On the Bourgeois Balcony: the politics identity...... 20 of 2.4. (Socialist) State/Citizens ...... 17 Relationship 2.3. Practices of Everyday Life...... 15 2.2 Private and Public Spheres...... 13 2.1. Theories of Socialist Architecture...... 7 Contents iii CEU eTD Collection iv CEU eTD Collection balcony has also to be regarded as apolitical be hasregarded alsoto balcony 1989),the 1977,Habermas (Bourdieu isa one private political between public anddistinction and theembodiment the is balcony the differently, Put expression, two. the between translating and mediating thus in spheres, andthepublic the private between intersection atthe the situated on other separated; terms of thefrom its totally ethosand expressing on hand, distinctone butnot lower classes worldview: the built environment, of the bourgeois identity. Since the mid 19 two distinct For Stallybrass overlapping the andWhite spheres. (1986) of balcony the in theme asanintervalbetween alsoregarded apoem was thebalcony in which earlier wrote Baudelaire friend His close in hisendeavor. alone was not Manet sphere. public the realm and private bourgeois the between a canon:space balcony asanintermediary the would painting set the see, however,was that many failedto What contemporaries clumsy 1996). (Fried andunrealistic and by posture static they around.Thecompositionthat are effaced regardedas objects the was were skeptic if notutterly disappointed. Most of them argued that the characters depicted are in a Consequently,19 involved.donothaving partdoget butnotin but touch, look spectacle take it; without gaze to street the gaze at can bourgeois the from where space ideal isthe balcony the Thus, classes. the old aristocratic identity as excluding of bourgeois formation the line the in comes with society of rest the the family publicspace the and bourgeois ethos spaceof the private secure the space between intermediary and also the un-distinctiveness, grotesque, filthiness of the lower painting Manet’s When th century painting and poetry is century poetry The nopainting and balcony coincidence. depiction as an of th century balcony appears as the bourgeois space bourgeois balcony asthe appears century The Balcony 1. Introduction wasrevealed eye to the of mostcritics publicin the 1869, topos 1 . par excellence par , saliently CEU eTD Collection 5000 Lei, while the averagemonth salary was 2500 Lei. However, despite thisfact, many people Romania theenclosurebalcony of illegal.finewas for breaking The thelaw rangedfrom 3000 to to the socialistmeaningsAlbeit andfunctions bourgeois tothe balconyfrom the ascribed ascribed differthose one, the balcony havebecome obsolete. socialism during still remainsenvironment, the balcony still remains a closed space, despite thefact that the functions itserved a politicalbourgeois conception. Furthermore, in post-socialism, due to site.the intrinsic nature of the built by the functionascribed its mediatory losing thus enclosure), (by livingpeople’s the space For example, of interior tothe or discourse), architectural official the (by buildings the façade of the either to in Ceausescu’sAs I will show later in the paper, in the socialist architecture balcony is a closed space, subsumed appeared as a bourgeois invention, what purposes did the balcony serve in a socialist context? first differently,if balcony the Stated least, anti-bourgeois. severely at which was,rhetorically underpinning the construction haveand useof balconies inthe changed socialist view. In followingthe how the pagesIanalyze functions,social meaningsandideologies challenge is however, this to represents paper, anunproblematicthis Theof purpose assertion. intersection for private/public as alocus Formany,balcony granted andreproduced. constantly the purpose of this paper due to its familiarity. but also within the boundaries of the same country. Despite the evident limitations, I choose to employdifferent (asIwill show further this the inpaperterm concerning for the issue ofbuilt environment), notonly block,across the I am using too a blanket Russiain 1917and termin theother Central and Eastern Europeancountries, after 1945. In that so doing I am fully thataware lacks accuracy.oftencontradictory understandings. The In this paper I designate political as socialist the political regimes that seized power in and social regimes covered by this term were very 19 of the middle from Startingthe 1 The term “socialism” became a blanket term, with a very fuzzy meaning, expressing a wide range ofvery range wide a expressing meaning, fuzzy very a with term, blanket a became “socialism” term The th century above century definition the balcony was forof taken 2 1 architecture CEU eTD Collection (especially large amounts of food) became obsolete, new functions had beto assigned. Instead of system.official state Finally, because after the fallof socialism need forthe storing things “economic” developedsecondary relations andnetworks paralleled during socialismthat the matter, Forthat forframework. balconies looking astarting can provide informal, point atthe materials the illegal, of usedfor alegal outside was also provenience this operation the was balconies the of since enclosure the people. Furthermore, the of practices everyday with the Party the of discourse dominant official, the of point meeting the becomes balcony view, this In a kitchen. or room extra in an it transform need, in or, clothes dry supplies, food the store could one where place wasthe Balcony dispositions. law of official and enforcement strict escaped the another onewayor that, space wasaparticular balcony socialism the overlap. during Second, or spheres thetwo how this collide and relationship; negotiate renegotiate people how understand can researcher the its citizens, and State of intersection the at being Firstly, study. present the formany lines as of research shouldbe considered which questions? parts Myanswerhasthree However, why is this site fruitful and what can one gain more by considering the aforementioned practices?; whatnew identities dosocialist balconies suggest? of the relationship nature was the and what its citizens; State socialist the between intersection ticklish the express balcony the does how context?; between socialist in the serve balcony the does scopes and functions the officialpurposes, between spheres,what the and private identity, andexpressesthepublic intersection designated bourgeois of the embodiment the architectural balcony represents bourgeois ifthe as follows: usebe summarized could my puzzle matter, research that and citizens. For betweenState intersection of the at lies balconiesbalcony socialist the that seems it Thus, balconies. their enclosed and law the broke and people’s everyday 3 CEU eTD Collection bourgeois balcony; State/citizens intersections and negotiation and intersections bourgeois balcony; as negotiation the expressing State/citizens socialist functions ofbalcony); public/privatethe spheres division andintersection, asthe origins of overlappingIn order fields:to offer an answer to my research the puzzle I willsocial focus my inquiry on fourtheory intersection. siteof strategic another State/citizen by adding different, but analysis of line this follows of balconies Romanian socialist on socialist research My courtyards. rundown architectureEstonian curtains, Russian bedrooms, Polish sites: specific strategic by etc) scrutinizing Germany,Eastern Russia, Hungary, (with communal a particularkitchens Czechoslovakia, (Poland, countries in different intersection State/citizen the analyze this volume and dachas, Czechview chatas to andthe Eastern German (eds.) into look integrated the State/citizen duringrelationship socialist is times Crowley’s andReid’s an to offering came closest study my the that To knowledge, omitted. arealso personal practices like celebrationspublic and issuesof people’s privacy matters, and gatherings queues,official show and denounce the intrusion of the State in this realm. On the other hand, when dealing with studies the of most example, for sphere, private and intimacy with dealing when focused: single periods historical andcontexts different andits socialist citizensthe in in State of and builtpractices, terms environment everyday between and relationship intersection deal with the to tries that literature is an There abundant bourgeois fashion.(public/private) 2 possible “ peoplestoringdepositfood, to started either oldthings, balconiesmight sothat be as labeled Forkey studies on the topic see Aman (1992); Kotkin (1995); Scott(1998); Buchli (1999); Stites (1999). Socialist Spaces lieux de memoires de lieux (2000), which (2000), idea published the of triggered The authors paper. this in ” (Nora 1989), or tried to open intermediary 1989),ortriedbalcony toopen inthe up their ” (Nora 2 . However, I believe that these studies were and still are, 4 CEU eTD Collection architecture, by hinting itsto Stalinist origins and toits internal dynamics. Moreover, this section object of the the hadimpact balconyconstitutes wasconceptualized, onthe way substance and what this third section the confiscated ifrhetoricfrom its of retaining little,atall,one while Leninistthe revolutionary of the chapter. architecture The mannerin Stalinist the which architecture. andmodernist revolutionary The lastcontrasted, section structuring the bourgeois identity will from middlethe of 19 the in concentratethe with seconddeals section first the the origins andThus, functions of the bourgeois balcony conceptualization. andsection, hints to the rolesocialist on this sitelate playedits in to Ceausescu’sorigins its from balconies with the of scrutinize development four architectural the that on sections threeisstructured Chapter place assigned to myresearch. balcony of themes salient the to pinpointing while above, in the integrate myto Leninist withintopic literature the relevant of fourthe overlappingfields mentioned high-This paper consists of five chapters.This introduction is followed by a discussion in which I seek how, in peopleturn, respondedtothisby attempt alternativedeveloping different strategies. “new and man”, creation the tothe of contributed andurban planning architectural discourse official State’s socialist the how understand is to interests myprimary of One perspective. infrastructural and a spatial from citizens its and State socialist the between relationship This present study has tobe seen of as a largerpart aimed endeavor atunderstanding the discourse. in with architectural official the contrast balconies, of usage a light everyday the on cast life that everyday of thepractices function; intermediary 5 th century onwards. Thisview will be CEU eTD Collection of the limitations of my research and further lines of analysis. of lines further and my research of limitations the of andmy findings some suggesting upmyargument also while In chapterIround concluding the tomy answers andinterpretations puzzle. research plausible offersome to seeking thus situation, post-socialist of the and characteristics the out the reasons people say they had for enclosing their balconies, State’s response to their actions myby mainteasing of of findings research consists the field. chapter Therestof the the entering methods thatunderpinnedthe my also alludinginquiry, some faced while in to difficulties fourin begins Chapter introduce with sitewhich the a methodological section I my of fieldwork, inhistorical background which functionsthe of Romanianthe balcony embedded.were the and context the providing by research, my of site the to closer discussion the bring will 6 CEU eTD Collection which are used in production (factories, railroads, highways, office-buildings etc); ontheother, etc); highways, office-buildings railroads, (factories, inproduction which are used theirfunctions, butequally importantin terms of structuring life: on one hand, fixed the items, according Marx to builtthe environmentcan be divided into two categories – differentregarding Furthermore, inanyfactor a given of asociety. becomes reform salient architected buildings and designed are cities which in manner the Thus, base. the surroundings, material their change in that tochangeorder behaviors people’s thoughts, must andrepresentations, one primarily material ( life determine consciousness of conditions the idea that Marx’s and reformers, revolutionaries architects, socialist all For Architecture ofSocialist 2.1. Theories discussing a series of key thinkers,major texts and heated debates. by paper, the of part in this fields intermingling four these on focus shall I balcony”. the from socialism, atthe center of which stands 4) the relationship between State and its citizens as “seen political life anthropology with wasdeveloped; everyday of the socialist one during 3) a which in of contrast and emerged bourgeois which balcony out intersection the spheres division and public/private the 2) reinterpretation; Stalinist its to conceptualization, Leninist early its from ranging architecture, socialist of social fields: 1)the theory sametimeoverlappingat the but different, four of intersection the at my topic envisage I Introduction, in the mentioned As life. everyday of practices and architecture (post)socialist change, urban analysis, urban on debate is The circumscribe of purpose thediscussion chapter to this balconies in on socialist a larger 2. The Balcony: intersection of four theoretical fields Capital , vol. III, 1990) was an evident truth. Marx held Marx truth. evident an was 1990) III, vol. , 7 CEU eTD Collection economy, see Harvey (1984). 3 Narkonfim communal housing complex speaks for itself. within the hadideasit becauseisHudson’s study importance the architectural remarkable also shows circlescitizen. Soviet new the of formation the allow to be designed should system of housing entire the power and Thus, manufactured. is self citizens the social of new is wherethe site the since this intervention for the decision-makers locus of domestic spaceasacrucial the regarded as wellhis companions, system. Ginzburg, housing the on emphasis aspecial with environment, built the of transformation a total for of which,Revolution and thatits construction cannot be placed on bourgeoisthe foundations. He advocated constructionfor the resource that spaceisafundamental understood him, around school formed the the principles and aims of the Revolution. Moisei Ginzburg, the leadingof architect of the time, and the order to quickly and effectively pave the way to thein dictum, actualize Marxist the to formation eager were revolutionaries how Leninist shows the author of a new society in keeping with emphasizing its reformist inshaping goals the Soviet 1917Revolution. society the after This Hudson’s (1994)insightful study depicts themodernist origins of by architecture Leninist relations, which, in turn, will accordingly mold a new conscience. organizing for foundations new that believed was largely It “NewMan”. a radically of creating project workplace,macro-scale their of core the at came space socialists the for thought, of line this Following home, consumption places, categories. considerboth should people,regime any of conscience the reform street-life, like) the and shops schools, (houses, sites consumption the would give rise to new social For abrilliantly more detailed discussionof this distinction, its historical origins and its function in capitalist 8 3 . Consequently, in order to shape and shape to in order Consequently, . CEU eTD Collection research was conducted, the authors fail to include the urban renewal process that shaped that process renewal urban includefail the to authors the conducted, was research Soviet block former of the discourses architectural official the of areconcerned intersection the with (1979) and their actualizationplanning andtheirideological underpinnings andmeanings. example, For French and Hamilton town space,between architecture, relationship the disclosing and thus structure their physical in different A long have series tounderstand differentsocialiststudies societies bylookingof attempted at cities. However, due pay a close attention to issues concerning the builtenvironment. to the time has to differences, their of regardless regimes, socialist of the nature understand the to attempt when the moldingfor “Newin any environmentof builtthe thestructuring the Man”.Thus, powers belief deep same the shared thinking Stalinist the that is now stress to important is What balcony. for the envisaged and they role the architecture, conceiving of types two the of characteristics willwhich inmore the chapterI Inthenext prevailed. Stalinistthe ones detail to refer in manner the and brutal architectural the between conceptions two study struggle the presents of Stalinismideas deemed Leninist the radical too and utopian. The second partof Hudson’s Leninist it andmuch period remained of Secondly, unfinished. advent out,the points asHudson plans. Suffice it to say that the construction littleFirstly, for economically financial such country an ruined could afford largesupport scale of the Narkonfim complex started weretwofold. causes the Revolutionaries Leninist caseof In the the attempts. modernizing at the end of the (1998) believes Scott James be changed. was to that society the of faceconditions real the hadto revolutionaries that this mismatchby the social,envisaged andthus architectural, transformation complete the However, constitutes the main reason for the failure of most of the 9 CEU eTD Collection regime, can be interpreted as the last European attempt to fulfill the high-modernist dreams. fulfill high-modernist to as European lastattempt the the canbeinterpreted regime, decade of developed inthe last the majorthe architectural given projects Ceausescu’s Romania, using the artistic avant-gardists methodsthe envisaged. Following this line of thought, avant-gardist dream withoutnotes, shaping thesociety of a grand author though the scale, at the realized some to that extent, a“total art”, represents Stalinism author, For this conceptions. high-modernist Western and from European be broader avant-gardist the disconnected styles it sported. In the same vein, Groys (1992) believes that the Stalinist architecture should not a genuine precursorthe and functions ofmonstrosity of the regimepostmodernism, that madeideological it possible, the Stalinistrigid architectureits should beinterpreted despite as that argue authors two The style. at leastarchitectural from the view this crystallized point influences that theorigins and of discussion detailed a with coupled USSR, of the eclectic mixture offer Tarkhanov and (1992) an Kavtaradze intheformerof anatomy Stalinistthe buildings of by easily citizens. recognizable the buildingsisin werefundamental delineating socialist shaping and spacethat agenuine public these which to extent the highlights Aman Moreover, regimes. respective the reinforcing Pioneers’ Palacein by stressingMoscow) theirideological in functions and purposes visually in Bucharest, House People’s cities block (e.g. former Soviet icons of the became different Anders focuses Aman’s1992book on monumentality the of several buildingsStalinist that architecture. ideological state 80’s,the in aclearRomaniamid case andthroughoutembodying which 70’s cut of represented 10 CEU eTD Collection research because it manages to offer an integrated overview of the State/citizen relationship as relationship theState/citizen of overview integrated an offer manages to it because research As already mentioned, Crowley’s andReid’s (2002)piece constitutes startingthe my pointof routines. and people’s dispositions andliving onarchitecture between conditions intersection on research the State the interpretations thebuilding hadduring subsequent the years,Soviet than concentrating the ininterested and Buchli However, seems more different the daily presenting practices. focuses stories the butalso inhabitants’ on building, inthe conceptions embedded ideological Moisei communal depicts not apartmentbuilding, only Ginzburg’s author Narkonfim the the BuchliVictor manages,(1999) tosome extent, tobalance theanalytic view.Whendiscussing intensely disputed butalso it an represents how State, the purposes of ideological and representational serves the environment built how only not is considering worth is what differently, Put it. to attached they buildingshow those but only expressednot also power State’s people’s meanings andpractices leftout is it also buildings; particular those negotiated subverted, appropriated, adopted, reacted, different regimes produced isthat them.What is usually inomitted which manner the people the of aims general in the roles their on and such, as buildings on placed emphasis is their most have of incommon Whatthem focus. by single their most arelimited of studies that these between the built environment and the goals of the socialist political regimes. However, Ibelieve in architecture, they linkmake andstrong places.Moreover, the periods different apparent especially in illuminatingtheorigins, theories thesocialistand ideologies underpinned that important, highly undoubtedly are vein, same in the others many and mentioned, studies the All topos of intersection between the State andits State citizens. between of intersection the 11 CEU eTD Collection series of between and regarding relationshipquestions the private the publicspheres. the fundamental inresource achieving its reformist (especially goals housingthe realm), poses this a Since the Socialist state, starting with the Leninist one, defined space and built environment as a of texts. myplaces.Thus, be balconiestopic on regardedasacontribution might Romanian to this body particular to andregard its with citizens State the between interstice atthis volume are placed in the comprised plan.All that analyses the to resistance people’s life,aspacefor everyday form a new to plan scale a grand society.in sites small were kitchens communal Russian the example, For practices. But at the same time, actual use citizens designated and State the between intersection the consider space hasto the communal kitchensince the became, socialist in note, the theauthors regimes Moreover, role a“socialist space”. indefining important playedan equally practices envisaged of a totalvein,longfood, queuesfor majestic illegal buildings, of exchange currency and imposing statues control over space,time theyhighlight importance the had practicesdifferent inshaping different spaces.Inthis any analysis of butat the same any society, had shapingasocialist in space acknowledge importance the authors particular The apartment). (aPolish and“everyday” inMoscow), Palace Pioneer the (like monumental both key spaces, different of inastudy engage issues, authors of the series answer this Inorderto is inscribe it; represented. space mannerinwhichthis the ascribed toor and on uses isit the formed, by rules the which space, aSocialist thatdefine characteristics particular monumental both words,In more they and concrete everyday”identify (2002:4). attempt the to under contexts socialism, andconcrete specific meanings within symbolic and “spatial practices determined andexpressed by by builtthe a environment, examining series ofinterstitial spaces, 12 CEU eTD Collection 4 19 endof the towards formulated first was publicthe sphere, middle the back 16 the dating of to If, abourgeois culture.Western publicsphererepresents asHabermasinvention (1989)showed, in history short has arelatively sphere private the publicand between the The distinction Spheres Public and 2.2 Private withdrawn, while public as what is open, shown and accessible. On the other, private is private other, On the accessible. and is shown open, aswhat public while withdrawn, On realmswhich is hand, isone two the areconstructed. regardedaswhat private hidden and basedon imaginaries pivotal of types are two and public private between historical distinctions Nonetheless,(1997: 308). Weintraub lays Jeff (1997) believesthatwhatbehind the different thepublic civil sphereof state, sphere, society private personal life and the the (legitimate) Western andlegal in interlinkedthought the practice form fourthe institutions: constitutional of Marc Garcelon notes (1997) rightfully thethat public-private intersection was embedded in the usually set in opposition in order to pinpoint toat least three major differences: toavoid order mental pain and distress. AsDavidBrain (1997) showed,publicand privateare from in world the individuals retreat could spacewhere necessary as the envisaged Privacy was For adetailed discussionon the legal aspect of privacy see d’Entreves Vogel and (2000). choice selfishand interest (1997: 242). pertains to commoninterests and collective decisionmaking, asopposed to whichthat is left toindividual of modern urban life, as opposed to the region of intensely personal concern; c) public as the domain which where are kept hiddenfrom view; b) public as that regionof relatively impersonal sociability characteristic a) public as the physical orsocial space in which one’s activities are visible to diverse others while private th century, the legal century, the definition privacy,the of asopposed to 13 th century 4 (Madanipour 2005). (Madanipour CEU eTD Collection of of private/publicthe intersection in praxis the lifeof daily by distinguishing between maskthe an actualization for the understanding foundations the offered Goffman by Goffman (1959). Erving roles incumbent modern tothe Western used a world, dramaturgical Sennett first analysis, coined and intermediary complicated of spaces aseries through and controlled hadbe severely monitored thetwo to between contact Thus, the immixing,indistinctiveness andorder placeof the anddanger. the city cleanness, represented washouse realm asthe of envisaged While of city.the the public space from of house the the along space separated line private a division structured the which that identity was bourgeois the Following this lineStallybrassof thought, andWhite (1986)remarkably themannerin depicted autonomy of home. to the threat apotential which represents Others, of space is public the city the contrast, have spatial the beencrystallized boundaries around of individual,the house. By personal Arieshas shown,in (1962) Western modern the thinking the concepts of privacy and intimacy alsoauthor a suggests possibleof spatial analysis private-publicthe As dichotomy.Philippe in of pieceishighly Weintraub’s this paper becausethe I believesignificant context the that individualsinterested (1997: 5). associated with individual individual and while rights, public, with acongregation of commonly economy led to the “ the led to economy markettype urban envisaging of with culture, of combined the development the capitalist the In the same vein, but with a different emphasis, Richard Sennett (1976) earlier wrote that this fall of the publicman of fall rites de passages ”. In order to grasp the change of publicprivate andgrasp the changeof to order ”. In 14 . CEU eTD Collection and oppressions, inequalities of source very as the privacy, of abolition the placed Bloc. MarxandEngles Eastern at the core inthe for people reality everyday was theoretically of discussed Lefebvre and de Certau What the symbolic. material or either specially designed places, but as an achievement resulting from different appropriation of spaces, by thatarguing privacy,for example, be associated should not with fixed boundaries and everyday of practices, private/publicthe inthedefinitions. context reintroduces Lefebvre divide of practices interpretationseveryday life arecrucialmeanings, in boundaries, and shaping banality, mediocrity scholarsdisclose Lefebvre (1991)noted issues that life addressed usually of the everyday only to and of their institutions the individualities.according to vein, and Furthermore, own inthesame complacency transform in by developed power capabletoresist, andpeople shapethe ordinary their activities associated micro-resistances the on focuses De Certeau institutions. official the of spaces and discourses with it. people,their through daily Onrenegotiatepractices, and oppose, the public, appropriate hegemonic the contrary,idea of by that (1984) Certeau’s Most were triggeredde them off andinteractions. practices Lefebvre aspects of everyday concerneddifferent with depicting is literature body There of agrowing argues, Life ofEveryday 2.3. Practices coreofeveryday at the life. private/publicdistinction the multitude of roles formaking the interactions with others possible. Thus, Goffman’s study places a self individual,stage thepublic whereof an self whereas designates the has to assume a of the “ characteristic “naturalness”, unmasking the and interactions, public wear duringthe has actor to backstage ” - the private sphere. For Goffman, the private sphere is the realm of the true Communist Manifesto 15 . Walter Benjamin, in his Moscow his in Benjamin, Walter . CEU eTD Collection between the socialist State itsand citizens. socialist State the between relationship the to divide private/public from focus of shift a entails this regimes socialist the of context in the scales), and levels different (on appropriations and resistance of acts by underpinned are discussed here, if the authors life, wefollow everyday of practices Since the Crowley and Reed 2002:6). ordinary qualitiesofsocialisminEasternEurope that needtobeunderstood (1997) putit: “ andIvan Peto As Andras Gero line thought. this to of to offer acontribution seeks socialistbalcony paper on the present light, and in which ordinary heracts, fundamental for In Sovietculture. viewareunderstandingthe this only only dissidentalong the lines of acts, but clear-cut should “ equallyconsiderthe be analyzed not should life socialism under everyday that emphasized Boym (1994) Nonetheless, life. everyday of socialist in practices the techniques, formsdifferent through and indifferent of resistance, thus of appropriation, a matter which does not exceed the most intimate themost notexceed which does transparent ‘public’and‘personal’ lives and reformulate it. The socialists formulated a “ reshape inbutto managefollowed, not factannul ones distinction, did private/public the to that However, asKharkhordin Bolshevik(1997) hasargued,the socialist and regime, diverse the practice. into this thought Leninistregime the turned that noted emphatically Diaries (1928), ” (1997: 360). Thus, this Thus, ” (1997:360). “ ”, on one hand, and “ and hand, one on ”, 16 division between the ‘social’, which the‘social’,consistsof between division it is not only the extraordinary but also the butit isnotonlytheextraordinary an unseen,unrecognized private unrecognized private unrecognized common places common ” (quoted in ” (quoted ” became ” CEU eTD Collection affective ties of the family tiesofthe affective rather towards “ but Party’s activities, toward directed was not interestfocus of their realm, the visible public Garcelon further notes that while people experienced the experienced while people that notes further Garcelon activities, while approved apparatus; the apparatus; intersection in socialist contexts. Thus, contexts. in socialist intersection –citizens state of nature the capture better would that terminology and anew typology proposes Garcelon matter, For that its citizens. with relationship the in capturing is misleading state socialistof inthecontext using private public and out, the terms However, points asGarcelon citizens. andits State the a very between hintsdivide distinction nowtopowerful political public/private The block. Soviet former the of countries the characterized that society and regime between tension and persistent isa profound tospeakof appropriate that considers ArnasonThus, (2002) spaces. private unrecognized unofficial, of boundaries within formulated the was society civil in downplayed society. the possibility a publicspace civil Inturn, emergence form of of of the power and fully visibility, intheform state while of hypertrophied space developed public a in general, states, socialist the that observes Garcelon Furthermore, private. andthe public the between division the over precedence takes citizens elites, and by Party-state the epitomized the State, between inbloc thatSoviet the relationship noted former the Marc Garcelon (1997) Relationship State/Citizens 2.4. (Socialist) social the instrumental-personal tiesin the work place andsecond economy, andtothe realm encompasses the realm of work, routine administration and officially and administration routine work, of realm the encompasses realm domestic ” (1997: 322). Thus, put in a nutshell, what comes at the core of innutshell,Thus,comes core the atthe ” (1997:322). what put a refers family tothe life friendshipand (1997: networks 317). officialdom 17 designates the ruling elite and the state officialdom as the official and omni- and official asthe CEU eTD Collection the high-modernist ideology which sported a ideology high-modernist the profoundin sported belief which rational scientific planning and will.Second, heterogeneous andtheir agencyof citizens the the neglect andfully underestimate those elementsexclusion of leadsto inevitably thenaturewhich andsociety to order attempt administrative Firstly, state’s factors. major the of four asacombination projects social engineering and people state-initiated the of collapse the He explains states. of high-modernist the framework larger who placesJames Scott(1998) do relationshipthe between thesocialistandits state citizens into the not confirm to of ways expression. alternative the order.inThis, develop forced people relations frameturn, parallel to outsidethestate find and to Moreover, anda gapbetween citizens. the state to the whichlead process, anddecision-making governing realm the of personalfulfillment.achieving Thus,the citizens werefully expelled from the theseas labor rules; of application lawful than rather political, goals; collectivist and defined attemptscentrally bureaucracy; Party’s the under central control governance; of forms as themain administration planningand ownership; failure:its state of very sources the represented some of which writers of the 19 by littlefeaturesutopian envisagedsocialist the of bore the them succeeded and moreover, none of fulfilling mosttheMarxistgoals, aimed of states these at ideologically and rhetorically though even that notes rightfully author The Block. Soviet former the of countries in several state David Lane (1996) analyzed the emergence, development and, finally, the demise of the socialist between theprojected grandeur of and state the people’s everyday interest. mismatch a but confrontation, open an primarily not is relationship state/citizens socialist th century. Lane also identifies some of the salient features of state socialism, state of features salient the of some identifies also Lane century. 18 CEU eTD Collection Arnason(2002) 5 chapter. following in the my attention turn I shall that To origins. bourgeois its consider inhasto one particular architecture and inCeausescu’s ingeneral,discourse architectural fullyMoreover, insocialist inbalconies toof place understand the together. order fields these considering without spaces, these of negotiation and appropriation everyday people’s and function ideological their of balconies, the nature grasp the to impossible appears transformation intolarger at a debate,situated the intersection interminglingfour of fields. It The purpose of this chapterthinking was dismissing thus perspective, dominated that character previous exceptional their scholarly to circumscribe instates andin place envisagedmodernist the of the manner which they citizens, a larger, socialist the about discussion the places it thebecause significant highly is also piece Scott James topic of socialistcitizens. their with balconiesrelationship ideology marked andof and socialiststates parcel thattheseideaswerepart the emphasizes the and their large as plan,or hindering elementsinits implementation needbethan reformed. to Scott boundaries of a centralized plan. Moreover, such a state will treat its citizens as mere dots on this therigid be grasped within cannot that people, and processes life of real features essential the of oblivion is acomplete state such a distinguishes What mega-plans. State’s resist to incapable is that society, civil weak a Forth, goals. high-modernist the implement to able and willing is thatboth state an authoritative needs. Third, for people’s resolving sources asutmost progress For amore detailed and theoretical discussion about the relationship betweensocialisms and modernity see 5 . 19 CEU eTD Collection Norbert Ellias (1939), have argued that the history of manners have to be understood as be a understood manners have history to of the Norbert Ellias arguedthat (1939),have new identity. Likewise, Stallybrass followingand White (1986) Bourdieu both (1977)and pedagogy reformistimpulseor has a very political powerful substratum, aimed atconfiguring a distinguish butnot from to totally and Bourdieu utterly (1977)hasdisconnect. shown any that regarded in this vein: bourgeois’ butimpossibility identity as separation of Thefunction ofbalcony hasrupture. tobe as a mediatory placeaccountfor in to bourgeoisbe identity, order tothe as had invented placescorrelatives to between what the bourgeois of series Thus, a conceive andpractice. to impossible was was excludedasnegative from what wants to separateidentity. But the disgust is always underpinned by desire,and orat least by curiosity. Total separation its of sign a negative disgust, and negation of sign the under bourgeois the by internalized was contaminating. The very act of exclusion was constitutive of its identity. Everything that was low itas low,redefined marked ofwhat noisy itself dirty, and repulsive, out exclusion the through argue thatthe and Stallybrassbourgeois andWhite (1986) defined subjectcontinuously out. left has identity, bourgeois of pillars letmedebate, focus the whatthisnotion emergence and of ofbalconiesas on distinction, the whole the than rather reproduce However, is conceptualized. distinction waypublic/private the understand balcony functions the for of identity bourgeois acloserpurposes, lookis needed into and overlapping, constitutiveof bourgeoisthe tofully identity self-formation.and Inorder dividebe from separated public/private the balcony cannot of functions The andthe existence ofidentity politics the Balcony: the Bourgeois 3.1. On 3. ArchitecturalDiscourses and Balconies 20 CEU eTD Collection contagious diseases of the communication prevent effectively as to so their apartments the disconnectionof and domestic privacyandindependenceofeachdistinct the preservationfamily of introduced for sphere. AsKerr in Robert suggested his 1864guide private for the risky potentially an Other, wasconsidered else Everyone newethos. bourgeois the (Stallybrass andWhite lowerthe onlyfor notthe classes 1986:42).But potentially were perils “ lowerbourgeois(Stallybrass andWhite classesbecame the of 1986:130).The the gaze object yet remainedseparate the streets and of banquet balconies couldbothparticipateinthe notbutbe bourgeoisthe “ be could touchand gaze,andgazed, touched. StallybrassThis, according to andWhiteis preciselyfunction (1986) from balcony: the of there wherestandpointis sight the privileged risk while the inexistent. of touching bourgeoisfor fear bourgeois, the of contamination. Thus, be the world hasto grasped from a desire/contamination If (1989: 136). gaze the thedesire, touch represents the emphasizes the touch: gaze/the the beformulated: can relationship paradoxical thefollowing Laporte, apotential constituted of followingcontamination. Thus,source forWhite, Stallybrass and touch the while classes, lower the of trait a considered was smell, any Smell, touch. and smell hearing, profoundly andthewhile senses:rejecting thegaze bourgeoisthe privileged onlytwo (1978)hasshownthat Dominique Laporte interconnectionsubjectivity ideology and(pp 90). of struggle to impose regulations of the body which thus becomes the site of a profound constituting itself as respectableconstituting itself and superior bysubstituting observation participation for ” (quoted ” (quoted in 2005:87). Madanipour 21 The Gentleman’s House The Gentleman’s The bourgeoisie ontheir The bourgeoisie : “ Balconies were ” ” CEU eTD Collection its territorial limits. territorial its limits: phenomenon, aboundary-related its rules arealways around constructed contours the of from identity,inseparable is all, after Cultural andinteraction. human rationalizing contact space ina specific manner (by excluding competing possibilities), thusorganizing and suggests thatoneof most the characteristics important of is builtthe environment toorganize iswhat excluded maybeindeed what that important more is Samson present. Ross (1990) affirmation. Like these other spaces, the balcony too is amode of discourse production for which besites formation (Habermas bourgeois assalientidentity of and 1989) can considered saloon literary the or gardens houses, coffee like balconies, sensibilities, these Following classes. lower the to again, specific, mixture, hap-hazard their on not spheres, private and public between separation on participation, on not observation on touch, on not gaze on bohemians); of depiction for Marx’s immixing avivid (see, aesthetically example, insisted environmentthat lower onrational instead of order classes’ unhealthy non-and Consequently, balcony has tobe in the regarded framework of largerthe bourgeois the built andto bephysically socially hygienic,morallyuplifting integrating natural elements, andpublic spacesby astrict characterized visual was orderliness considered “ that bourgeois an environment urban reformers, 19 the For ingeneral. thecity withlife of the contact the regulated severely style that “ term the coin to Diaries) Berlin his (in Benjamin Walter determined ambivalence this later, acentury Half affluent ghetto affluent ” whichthrough he expressedwith hisdiscontent bourgeoisie life- the 22 provided privacy for families,contactwith privacyfor provided 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte 18th Brumaire of ” (Brain1997:240). th century CEU eTD Collection style. latterThe was conceived as the space for class struggle andimposition of thenew socialist army. Onthe other, the internal front was envisaged as the private realm of the old bourgeois life by regular the be defended to designed Revolution, of the enemies the against front external the succeeded toseize power. They defined two distinct but not fully divided fronts: on one hand, even they war, after remainedat Leninistrevolutionaries Buchli the observed that Victor (1999) and improve identities and politics of representation. change shape, caninfluence, architecture fact that mainly tothe but due ideologies, and identities isand from architecture becauseit notonly political artists, originates political and expresses For thesethinkers,architects 1998 for adetaileddiscussion). Scott 1997 and (see Leach trends conceptions, inFuturist understanding built andof inmost of environment, modernist other the school’s in Bauhaus Plan, the with obsession Le Corbusier’s in visible is This relations. thinking. is Architecture fully moldingpreoccupied with lives, people’s minds and inter- However, the socialists werenotunique in thinking, butpart their of a mainstream modernist ( consciousness lifedetermine material of conditions the dictum: Marxist The ideaunderpinning of revolutionariesthe seizedwho powerin Russia in1917wasthe Architecture Revolutionary Leninist 3.2. its effects. and potential sourcesof social structuring the reconsider to had life practices, ideology and bourgeois dismantle the to in attempts their socialists, the Consequently, this perception. structures turn, in and, theworld of perception from a particular practices human a and imposes balconystems Thebourgeois social on perception. organization alsobut practices andidentities, certain structures, social BourdieuFor only form built organization space inthe environment (1984),the of of not 23 generates specific structures and structures specific Capital , vol. 1990). III, , reflects CEU eTD Collection rules, stemming both from both rules, stemming technical imperatives of and revolutionary The destruction purposes. labor.to Thelife thewould norms communes within bebasedon rational objective and and would shareall living responsibilitiesthe from and tasks: tocooking,from washing, sexual life According Leninists, tothe newlife would the becommunalized,micro-groups organized inthat citizens. forthe publicall a complete envisagingrealm distinction altogether, public/private the toeradicate attempted they Moreover, life-style. bourgeois of the as part all seen of sphere, family, nuclearthe destroy change the private andprivate ownership the structure to (Buchli The Crowley,1999; reformersLeninist 2002). andrevolutionary Reid to were prone more concept ambiguous remained home arather socialist private the architectural schemes, If the public spaces of the socialist city were more or less clearly articulated in official plans and turn, to aprogressive 1989; consciousness(Stites Hudson 1994; Buchli 1999). the home, the workplace organizing of ways “New Man”.New formation aimedof atthe that project asocializing became or the street would representations toshapepopulartastes andefforts level of produce new social“ intervention, ideological for site relationsimportant that would lead, spacewasaparticularly domestic Thus, tobeimposed. needs a newlifestyle conditions; in surrounding and principlesthe of builtthe Thisenvironment. isa sufficientnecessary,butnot must tochange them. one material redesign In andconscience, order a person’s behavior the in achieving participate willingly and goals the internalize would citizens the that so principles, in be revolutionary grounds,the setondifferent with lifekeeping hadto citizens the of away.valuesmust goals ofthe oppressivethe beswept bourgeoisie of The the oldrevolutions, rules and principles. Most of the revolutionaries believed that in order to achieve the socialist both atthelevelofdesign and productionatthe 24 ” (Crowley,Reid 2000:11). Space CEU eTD Collection framework was framework abolished, thebalcony wastoo expelled from plans of architectural the the in thebalcony necessity bourgeois the produced sinceof distinction that that the private/public Where does the function of balcony fitin this revolutionary conception of space? Suffice it to say The new revolutionary interior had to be functional,minimal and communal. andfilth, pollution. dust as of rejected realm sources of were private the bourgeoisthe elements bourgeois and order nothing should that be issuperfluous, beyond barefunctional necessity. All The revolutionary imperative for domestic the life wastwopronged: nothing should resemble the reproducing the bourgeois familynuclear (Buchli 1999). project mostly though unfinished, parts itof were inhabited in timeStalin’s bypeople the let funds insufficient and Stalinism of advance The project. housing communal Narkonfim facilities. The onlyprojectMoisei following closely Ginzburg’s revolutionary standards was housing of construction in especially the standards, match to itsideological sothat environment built entire the reconfigure means to necessary have the not did regime revolutionary the followingWorld War, First the both economical and infrastructural, sever shortages, the to Due noted. be should that amphiboly an is there However, order. social new the facilitate and express follow, closely should environment built of type new the terms, architectural In (asittheirwas parents casein(Boymthe bourgeoisthe order) Buchli 1994, 1999). beof consideredthe family, should not products-objects outside sincechildren biological the made be would children of rearing the other, the on and realm, private the of tyranny the from nuclearthe family was toproduce supposed two effects: on one hand liberation the women of 25 CEU eTD Collection contrast with bourgeoiscontrast understanding. the it unnecessary), when such units appear, they serve the same communal living purposes, in sharp deeming for balcony (thus the function envisage not aparticular does architecture revolutionary individualattached communal. not the housing units:even totheywere Consequently,though were these balconies Second, correspondence). intermediating (Buchli, personal ones not things) old storing (like purposes internal serving building, the of interior the to circumscribed were they First, from ones. bourgeois have different tobeen quite appears however, balconies, these “ of existence This notwithstanding, Buchli'sdepiction Narkonfimcomplex,of alludes in the the passing to reject need producing balcony. the thus tothe least) embracing(ideologically othersat the in indiscriminate all an public encompassing – realm lower the classes of - therein theneedproviding for thebalcony - the identity revolutionary formedwas by exclusion the through formed was identity its bourgeois, the for If world. own from their severe revolutionaries and the to force,not thelabor reproduce wasto space domestic of partin function spectacle. its the The take un-problematically should) easily couldand (and from they since gaze the worldabove, ofablock to for inhabitants the noneed Thus, there was functions. these according to structured consequently functions andwas had different space the balconies.function of Everythingbelonged everything the waspublic, the people, only to that contamination in 19 the (as considered not harmfulorigins. potentially Since through the realm of publicwas the revolutionaries. In words, other balconythe was dismissed basedonits “unhealthy” bourgeois large semi-circular balconies large th century bourgeois scheme) there was no need for the mediatory the for need no was there scheme) bourgeois century ” at one end of function of end ” atone buildingthe of (pp73).The 26 CEU eTD Collection while private space, still under state control and ownership, were “ controland ownership,were state under still space, while private statecontrol, asrealms of constructed absolute werenow public spheres however, Conceptually, distinction. the public/private re-emphasized discontent, capitalizethis on to sought Stalin, who eliteand too oriented. tooradical from natural parents) separated the child-rearing everything, communal of sharing had found the revolutionary envisaged by reforms Leniniststhe (like communal living, forwas most mass who the appealing many -base, made of his workers power whom political of family.This retain nuclear andthe designedto buttress Stalin's wereexplicitly power, policies domestic affairs, on the other hand, flew in theface of many of these tenets. Soon after assuming elimination of the nuclear family that had enslaved women (Hudson 1994: 9). Stalinist thought in the with complete housekeeping, individual of end the and dining communal living, collective of consisted revolutionaries, the by formulated as environment, socialist early seen, have we As an analysis salient well beyond the territorial space of the former USSR. Needless tosay, spread the of Stalinist ideas halfthrough following of Europe 1945makes such from Leninistrevolutionary in principles of architectural ideasterms anddomestic rules? different Stalinism was how But worldview. and ambitions personal own ruler’s its on mainly basedandbrutal onMarxistmodernist grounded Stalin’s reformist principles, regime trend, was a wider If to was circumscribed Lenin’s movement content. its revolutionary all,anything of at inpersonal rhetoricif the of usurping dictatorship little, Leninistthe while retaining revolution bloody Stalin’s of success the of criticism aclear was speech” “secret famous Khrushchev’s dictatorship” “petite-bourgeois the Regime: 3.3 Stalin’s 27 leasedout totheindividuals CEU eTD Collection determined by the aesthetic imperatives of by determined aesthetic “ imperatives the the was style Stalinist in the balconies of distribution the lines, ideological such Following of builtapproach the environment. functionalism and characteristicconstructivism principles of revolutionary the style and 1992; Hudson 1994:210).Needles tosay stylethis in was flagrantcontradiction with the Kavtaradze (Tarkhanov, ofneoclassicism features stylistic other moldings and elaborate towers, arches, columns, of intheuse often most reflected monumentalism, was theregime of architects andfully by imperativesdominated Stalinist (Hudson 1994). Theprimary forconcern the ideaRuler. wasmade This explicit of during first the Congress Architects, held inSoviet 1936 andits State of the majesty the greatness and idea: symbolizean andembody hadto architecture for real agenuine Stalin,building inconcrete, of socialist environment, the process problems was Kavtaradze with 1992,Anders If endowed architecture revolutionary the 1992). solving ideas (Tarkhanov and for diffusion the Stalinist the speaks of and conception architectural same the expresses inBucharest, Scanteii Casa with identical isalmost which Building, medieval cathedral,awing thepeople “ Leninists: the infrom different a by had, purpose turn, envisaged one StalinistFor the regime, architecture could now be labeled enemies of the State in general, and Stalin’s opponents in particular. maintain the features to state This enabledthe it interests. serveits ownpolitical to effectively state appropriated of the bourgeois use for order, including the exclusion of inferior Others, who ” (Buchli1999:97).Ratherdestroying than thedistinction, private/public Stalinist the to assist theengineers drive whileto assist intheindustrialization simultaneously,likea ” (Hudson 1994: 212). Thus, Moscow StateUniversity 1994: 212).Thus, Moscow ” (Hudson 28 harmony of the harmony of façade ” (Crowley 2002: 184). CEU eTD Collection resulting in little more than workers barracks, with no predispositions for majesty (French and (French majesty for predispositions no with barracks, workers than more little in resulting flats (10-12 square metersCentral and Eastern European countries of the Soviet block, designates persmall, cramped apartment person), builtespecially ideologicalWhatis in as generally the strict architecture, concerns. Stalinistdescribed in haste and with Union Consequently, build imperative to (Sillince the moreed. 1990). and cheapeclipsed more minimum concern for history wholethe forSovietthe of year throughout population every 5 plan, comfort, agoal remained underlinedthat Buildinghouses for them(Gerasimova of sufficient needs 2002). the Thus,ironically, the revolutionary goals were achieved without the actualization of the principles ones. communal smaller, into houses bourgeois characteristic of the periods before and after WW wasII, solved by Stalin by fragmenting the old industrialization rapidthe indomestic Thehousing than of country the architecture. shortage, and burstshortages Stalin the investinWar.Moreover, of World Second more pronethe to was hinderedactualization bynearly of same was the faced:problems asthetype Leninists financial builtenvironment(the metro stations, MoscowUniversity and the like). Buttheirfull Indeed, the be overestimated. plansnot should buildings Stalinist the of dimension were monumental the said, This gigantic, and some of their realization and theRuler. State of worshiping the can be seen today in project inagrand-scale piece decorative a simple becomes balcony Moscow’s whole society, the Similar to living,functionality bourgeoisie revolutionaries. the communal characteristic of andthe of effects. In the StalinistThus, balconies the were to exteriorthe subsumed sideitsbuilding, visualthe of contributing to architecture, balconies lost both their identity functions specific to the 29 CEU eTD Collection buildings. The earthquake set the ground for the major urban renewal that followed. that renewal urban major the for ground the set earthquake The buildings. major part,the biggest causeof the disaster was the massive collapse of oldthe interwar bourgeois houses and 6 aspects of social lifeand domestic onascale unimaginable As until then. Denise Deletant(1995) into partof state the anintrusion on becausethey underwrote important are These plans “ of program so-called regime, the decades of Ceausescu’s last two inthe policies housing of development the the understand inevaluate to and (1992)emphasized Lowe order that Stuart system developed during Ceausescu andtheofficial rolebalconies. assigned to housing of the nature the only consider will of paperI this For the purpose taste. personal (Danta havein 1993),everythingseems constructions anexpression Ceausescu’s to found Indianmotivespopular Romanian to andpost-colonial modernistarchitecture 1970’s monumental Stalinist toCommunist Chinese and North-Korean influences, from traditional from havebeen debated: sources of hard-core his inspiration extensively architectural duringenvironment his reign, despotic especially between 1977 RomanianCeausescu’sMuch hasbeenthe of built reconfiguration megalomaniac about written balcony political 3.4. Ceausescu’s its influence on the role and usage of balconies, Iwill turn in the next section of this chapter. andto an Tothat, Withinformer Romaniablock, constituted exception period. Sovietthis of the developingtraits, insteada style ofmixed with influences, no hard-line interpretations. inand boom in housing 1970’s USSRretained little construction of the ideological Stalinistthe Hamilton 1979; Tosics ed.1990; Sillince Turner, 1992;Crowley The Hegedus, 1960’s 2002). In 1977 a major earthquake shook the eastern half of Romania. Thousands were killed and many more injured. In injured. more many and killed were Thousands Romania. of half eastern the shook earthquake major a 1977 In systematization, modernization andcivilization 30 ” (1992: 218) has to be closely considered.” (1992:218)has to 6 until the end of his regime. The CEU eTD Collection plans only to dramatically fail. dramatically to only plans likeKhrushchev, hisplans,name. butCeausescu his any Just to pursued with without reference Ceausescu Khrushchev’s fullyendorsed in attempts Block. subsequent similar Socialistthe materialize hisideas, which in spite of their tremendous failure, constituted blueprintthe for with modern dwellings andinfrastructure. He had wait to until in 1959 to actuallyorder by agro-towns, villages replacement their and of atotal disappearance Khrushchev envisaged formulated in1951by Agriculture Khrushchev. of USSR, Nikita Secretary then the of more concretely was plan for Ceausescu’s amodel represented what However, rule. Stalin’s during made were it implement to attempts first the while Manifesto, Communist Engels’ and To be sure, this idea was not at all innovative. Its theoretical origins can be traced back to Marx’s to samelevelthe of of development the towns (Lowe 1992: 219-223,Deletant1995: 296-300). gradual the villagestown differencesbetween of the disappearance bybringingand villages the 11 in the butonly early beganbefully1970’s implemented in to secondthe half Theof 1980’s. the administrative of territorial reforms systematization1968 andtheprogram whichwas initiated of for time: understanding the communist housingthe policy the are salientof society, and an create national- urban-based questto the in landmarks particular constituted Two policies relations of production and consumption, addedaspecial flavor tothewhole project. semi-capitalist with economy planned and centralized of combination unorthodox the more, and rural systematization…[it resembled] asocialengineeringprocess wrote: “ th Party Congress Party heldin 1974reaffirmed the logic November of systematization: the the There is no betterexample ofCeausescu’s autocraticrule thanhisprogram ofurban 31 ” (1995: 294). What” (1995:294). is CEU eTD Collection regime, thus Ceausescu’s one represents no exception. However, the same author reminds, “ reminds, sameauthor the However, exception. no onerepresents Ceausescu’s thus regime, themostone strategicany Communist of goals of rapid constituted industrialization noted, was consistently dissolving in agricultural industry.production favor of AsArnason (2002) has at Party same the the of factthat time the inspite land aspossible much agricultural as preserve unitslittle using as land as possible. Theofficial forexplanation this demand was attemptthe to followingthe highbuildstrategy The phrase: development. was to density housing aim of this by a nutshell, in expressed, be can project systematization the of dimensions unseen the of One disclosure. the decisions,implementing in ones, local the and Party the of with authorities central the between regard tension this on to the illegal enclosurefamilies beingforced move to to the nearest city. In followingthe chapter I will elaborate further of the balcony, make destroyingblocks newhousesthe in toflats,orassistfor to their their room order of or, on the contrary,which entailed whole project of the targets direct were their relatives, or they, rationale: to their they reasons: tocommunism.envisagedMany more amore had gradual road avery pragmatic plan will be disastrous for the agricultural sector and for people’s lives. Others due toideological the believed sincerely they because them of Some reasons. different for all mayors, local the and local secretaries were the Party of project the opponents Thestaunchest 1995). success (Deletant Ceausescuaround in implementingwere resilient the plan and little thought its of utility and belocal of underestimated. cannot Likeparticularities contexts’ inKhrushchev’scase, people constituted loosens Block. The that thewhich alsoSoviet unitary view regimes the power the of be corrected, impose allhisideas manages hasto to ruler that theimageof an almighty However, 32 the CEU eTD Collection hand, the and growing population following the 1966anti-abortion law and rural-to-city High density development requirements and the necessity to keep the costs at a minimum, on one from effects. beseparated these cannot balconies on naturethe of Romanianthe built Thefunctionenvironment. and social meanings of the in effects lasting long plan resulted density development the high with coupled domestic sphere traditional butinplaced ones, nationalistic Thisa dictatorial and envisagement framework. of the theand bourgeois reproduced domesticfoundations sphere of the Thus, the natural the parents. which,in wasnothing moreturn, than family);an extended child rearing wasalsoentrusted to in key as political andwasfrequently positions depicted the by the example of the dictator’s family (Ceausescu involved most of the members of his family 1991; Deletant 1995;Kligman 1998); the nuclearfamily was retained andconstantly reinforced the Stalinist case: the State strongly controlled both the public and the individual sphere (Verdery Ceausescu’s of conception domestic life the didnot differfrom substantially onedepicted in the are therefore thesame inasmall or bigtown legislation. Theliving-room,the bedroom, thebathroom, therooms’ heightandother dimensions clear: “ point the made architects official ofbuildingdemand. growingwhile of forthe reduced costs the houses, providing One urgent it project: development high density behind this reason more realistic a however, was, There decline andcrisis the mostconspicuous oneof causesof modelsrepresented dependence onobsolete industrial ” (2002:67). the design of internalthe design spaces is inkeeping with aunitary ” (quoted in” (quoted Lowe 1992:225). 33 pater familias of the whole country whole the of CEU eTD Collection lived togetherfour or more people, while in 47% two threeor people (Grecianu 1992). 7 average on 15 squaremetersallocated 10to this 1990),whichaperson (Turnok meters period revolved meant 40 square that around was in built apartment an of size average The neighborhoods. in over-crowded placed houses ill-built led small,villages,followinganothermigration toover-crowded, hand, destruction on the of the Ceausescu’s conception balconies were envisaged with a function, though not wereenvisaged with Ceausescu’s balconies conception a function, though aclear drawnone. in balconies the forStalinistIf in purposes, façade’saesthetic servedonly architecture, strict the interactions. social and conditions living of nature the changed radically and fully that manner unprecedented an in such together people note high intentions.it sufficethe now, thatclustered program density to For and State’s Moreover, Iwill inquire relationship more into between the of nature the environment builtthe interactions. day to day of context in the it placing by be nuanced, will surveillance total of held widely idea the whereIdiscuss my field-research, In thefindings of followingthe chapter, be nothing wasto balcony seen for athreatening overlooking balcony.except panopticon acomplete as designed byCeausescuresembled housing system Romanian The environment. was willy-nilly part and parcel of the surveillance system due to the incumbent nature of the built society the of rest The Securitate. the arm: police Party’s of the collaborators were 4 Romanians in 1 that say statistics handle. Unofficial to easy and total became theoretically of population the Another effect of such construction isgrasptechniques harderto andfully monitoring assess: the Statistics from the end of 1989 renders this phenomenon more visible. Thus, in 35.5% of the Romanian dwellings (Foucault 1975): everybody could see and hear everybody. From Ceausescu’s type of 7 . 34 CEU eTD Collection the speech, Ceausescu becomes the star on top of the Eastern Block. ofthe on Eastern top thestar becomes Ceausescu speech, the in (Campeanua plausible 2002).Thus, interlocutor –Westdialogue weeksafter within East the the Party. In the world arena, Ceausescu is perceived as the hole in the Iron Curtain and becomes joined and doctrine embracedCeausescu’s regime the until suddenly then, andskeptical about critical were very who included, Paul Goma dissidents, many intellectual Moreover, peace-lover. needs and the a sensitive people the of to modern leader, asagood, Ceausescu acknowledged The impactand be cannot Romanians The successof overestimated. the speech this follow inRomania. onein would caseasimilar support Romanians the for aggression and calls an he intervention With blunt terms, labeledthe in unusual Czechoslovakia. Warsaw Pacttroops the of intervention condemn military the to in order Party of Communist the Central Committee of balcony from the the crowd the addressed voice, Ceausescu with shaky a afternoon, That back to21 andmake go adetour we needto to explain this, order space.In onthis meanings superimposed dwelling.What is of istruly balcony,specific Ceausescu’s conception Ithink of political the in desirable with since,balcony living conceptions, a general,a viewbetter, a epitomizes and architectural Ceausescu’s to means specific by no is this Nonetheless, sites. construction for a small kitchen and a communal bathroom, usually stand built3 for workerscomfort while nearbalcony industrialno and bathroom and kitchen just 2 meant comfort comparison, By plan. development the of beginning the from norm the becomes apartment of type Thus,bathroom,1 meant: abalconyand category notransitroom. akitchen,of comfort This a This amounts to saying that a balcony made a difference in the comfort rating of the apartment. st of of August 1968. 35 CEU eTD Collection decade of Ceausescu’s ruling in Romania. 8 and was seen by the disciplined masses, while atthe same time the physical contact was severely functions of the bourgeois balcony. From the height of his political balcony, Ceausescu could see in reduplicated, manner balcony a strange, paradoxical Ceausescu’s and twisted the speeches from in factaregularbalcony. andfrom asseen officialone, muchthe how occurred differed and citizens state between daily intersection ordinary, regular, how the I will analyze chapter, Inthefollowinginfinite the masses gratitude. would inturn, Romania, express their while, in of socialism theprogress inform about to them masses inorder the ruler addressed benevolent and the citizens: the thestate between intersection official focal of the point werethe speeches made everything plan goesaccordingsecurity tothe surethat who all, clapping of ovationsand,amidst tricks;andstandard State recorded the complicated officials doing sportsmen poems; elegiac reciting pioneers wife; his of and ruler the of portrait the caring minutelyand orchestrated workers all planned: Moreover, leader. speecheswerecarefully the itsfor people ofthe Romanian gratitude of expressions by“artistic” andfollowed were prefaced speeches balcony All Ceausescu’s of Ruler. the of magnitude the of reassessing anact foremost fore and but people, with of only a means communicating not become speeches Balcony Korea. North speeches withhisvisit is thechoreography them,associated to especially 1974 after balcony Nonetheless, whatdistinguishesoriginal followedbut abeaten Ceausescu’s track. atall Ceausescu wasnot too, andpatterns. In this respect techniques similar communication employed in ones socialist particular, Many regimes, inaccurate. political historically is indeed Ceausescu only to To say this isspecific that and citizens. the ruler betweenthe communication mannerday, became thesalient of After that speeches the norm of balcony Ceausescu’s regime, These were all part and parcel of what was labeled as the “Cult of Personality” which usually designates the last 36 8 . Thus, Ceausescu’s balcony CEU eTD Collection contextualized its architectural and in of views architecture framework its broader socialist architectural contextualizedthe Ceausescu on respectively. andtheStalinistone, section The architecture Leninist bourgeois anti- in the underwent balcony the transformations the on placed was emphasis theoretical A further one. public the of indistinctiveness sphere, the and private the intimacy of the back bourgeois the origins This chaptertraced of the balcony,space between asanintermediary small the world looks from the height of a political balcony. for the balcony (which Ceausescu never used). There, today, cohorts of tourists pay to see how largelyRomania.However, regime abruptendof the unfinished, left plan the whole the except communist imagined of Ceausescu’s core atthe placed was balcony the Thus, speeches. of the official time for the of people of thousands tens accommodating alsocapable of while buildings, administrative of the rest the and balcony Ceausescu’s between connect to designed specially political balcony.future From he awide would there gazetowards squareand a longboulevard, Ceausescu’s revolved around anewcenter of building city whole project accurately,the More balcony in Ceausescu’s acentral rolepolitical played of too. People’s design the the House, balcony by angry the Ceausescuprotesters, wasalready andarrested his regimeended. forcing Ceausescu to of crowd, angry the the target became in one1968,suddenly as same balcony,the Ceausescu’s fly out. When the first of limits safe The astray. went speech balcony carefully orchestrated another be just to appeared personal objects of the ruler were thrown off his without actually taking part in it.actuallyDecember This 22 was thecaseuntil part without taking crowd, the of spectacle the at gaze could ruler the where from society of the rest and the state intermediary the the safe spacebetween balcony Ceausescu’spolitical represented regulated. 37 nd 1989, when what 1989,when CEU eTD Collection state and its citizens. the between intersection of day-to-day larger context the within balconies, totheir attach(ed) and blockflats develop(ed) from of a Romanian usages people daily investigating andthe practices view by balance the isto chapter next the role of The one. projected tothe contrasted as officials its and state the of power actual the on ones; organized officially of that from powerandusages, functioning, events,notonly of seenfrom perspective the everyday on State’s and andunderstandings everyday people’s andpurposes conceptions official architectural far,missing,is so an emphasis on people’s daily practices, relationshipthe on between the in in as isgeneral andWhatexpressed inthecase architecture balcony,in of largely particular. leave the discussion unfinished and would offer a distorted view on the State/ citizen intersection But this paper is notconcerned only with official architectural conceptions. Toendit here would discourse. balconies official architectural inthe asexpressed bythe to placeassigned contexts, socialist in different and citizens State the between intersection the Ihighlighted this chapter salientits Moreover,particularities.modernist throughout to conceptions, while alsopinpointing 38 CEU eTD Collection fall. Finally, peopleliving in this block of flats comefrom a wide range of different social strata: balcony and meaningsthe attached tothis spaceboth during socialistits the regime, andafter beenhaveblock livingin sincebuilt. it this Thus,was the Ican of practices trace using the functions the ofbalcony Second,in most inhabitants of (more asuitable context. the than 60%) renewal plan. Consequently,of fact matter this grounds strong offers for placing myinquiry on living of peakofits architectural regime, the the during and socialist the urban conceptions represented saliently itself block the First, manifold. are site this choosing for reasons the Thus, of an apartment. the others around it, in terms of the number of apartments,inhabitants ofof a single apartmentroomsis three, the same asand during socialism. floors, The blockis similar with and the surface The averagenumber of meters. large, others 48square are the 64squaremeters apartments while havebalconies. All balcony arebut one all currentlyenclosed, socialism. Thethree during room three rooms, while the other half only two. All apartments,floor-, have of half per which –4apartments 16 apartments comprises of block time.at that The except for those at the ground floor, represented newestdesign typethe block,architectural that neighborhood, whole andthe of their general planurban development in The chapter. depicted inhabitants proudly previous the recall ThebeginningConstanta. blockside the atthe 80’saspartof of resort wasconstructed the sea the Romania, city of largest inthesecond flats block of istypical a my of research The site Methodology 4. View from the Balcony of a Socialist Block 39 CEU eTD Collection her, if he was still in contactme) he had to explain with to his superiors herthe reasons hisand sister hadif to leave he the country,planshe job Albeitretained his regime. who(“ helped to leave as well. Periodically,privileged position. he Hishad sister to immigrated he enjoy in apparatus helater eventhough astate developed official, not was did chapter: a the to United States, few years beforehim,person tostart with.balconies, Onemore hewasthe right be about thing which will the collapse of the in tohave building.the pointviewof order functionsusagesof and theofficial onthe Thus, the demolishingidentify fine of in and assistto illegalconstructions, trespassers the the city,the goout wasto his local Party’s task the socialism representative. During to but Mayor, not tothe job preciselyhe his back socialism aswell,only herecalls,wassubordinated during than, as that buildings aroundthetownandfor supervising thelegality of their construction. This was now in his midfifties inand works Mayor’sthe beingoffice, incharge with granting permits for my purpose was to contrast Like firsta representativethis field” of “entered the byinterviewingpaper, state. the throughout the official dispositions I my focuschanged. of slightly the interview research the first after flats.However, block of the with people’sin comprisedleast of representative 16flats interviewsthe conduct one at with My was to plan routines. Mr. Ungureanu is changed. fall, when socialthe hierarchy and the symbolic meanings todifferentattached jobs have backgrounds itbalconiesnow, after usedtheiralso howthey thethe socialism, anduse during andeconomical social different people with how different view across acomparative enables from navy personal to farmers. For that matter, this diverse landscape of jobs and social positions from engineers to prosecutors, from pensioners to job-seekers, from plumbers to police men, because I was I adevotedbecause manandIdid my job 40 ”, ashe tells CEU eTD Collection official from the Mayor’s office, I particularly benefited from two other interviews: one police one interviews: other two from benefited particularly I office, Mayor’s the from official from frame had which demolish had they balconies. Apartenclosed the to which with their the site of ThenIinterviewed fiveresearch. blocks people from facingthemain of two boulevard, from my Iinterviewedfivepeople original only into account, facts Taking the aforementioned of focuschange in important. research the was this extent, what to and why, apparent become will it paper the of session next the In boulevard. I should therecommendedinvestigate that blocks alsoflats facing directly of main the was to interview while behind boulevard, them a series ofidentical My blocks together. areinitial clustered plan the overlook blocks people of line long a that way a such in isconstructed neighborhood The center). living city new be the to considered is (which situated is here analyzing am I inneighborhood the where one city, ofthe of part new the with be) to theidentified is center city the (where city the of clusteredpart old the blocks.well.boulevard The is Iam important byfartalking about in the most since the city it connects The theMayor’s 80’s were designed aroundmajor, a large boulevard. This is the case with my research site as officeAs with most of blocks socialistthe inflats, of modernistfashion,a purely neighborhoods the of official explanation. including flats believe,overlooking blocks mainboulevard. of of the requires This, I a word by my site thatIshould broaden maderesearch merealize acquiredfrom The Ungureanu data his sister. with relationship the about informed he in which representative Party the for declaration a write 41 CEU eTD Collection article, not a thesis. Thus, they placed me in a certain social role, which was hard, if not hard, was which social role, me in acertain placed Thus,they a thesis. not article, isunderstood thatIam andalso asort journalist, of my inquiryof the purpose write is anew to weekly. While in from articles time Iwrite acultural time to me Moreover, television. shesaw because on these purposethe doing peopleof me andwhat bluntly interrupted interviewthe is. saying She knows that she neverthe interviews read with an oldthat lady,me nowa sort a blockof magazinepolitical administrator, activist, not a studentI triedterms of accessibility trying orto explain in tothe field,writemy but dramatically a tothesis. her hampersarticles, what theFor research. example, I Firstly,am flats they beforeconsidered so one I ofhad a wide what degreeMy inpositionality thefield begging. from the wasawkward livedyears I 18 in thatblock of of familiaritysome ofwith mythem subjects. This constitutesbest, though not fully.Why misleading? This is thesecondpointI want toaddress. a strong point in interviews isfutile,if utterly misleading, not would andpictures serve research the purposes the practice what and say people what between reallycomparison a enables it hand one on offers: pictures is. taking of Second, strategy this points strong at two are there somethat believe I However, intrusive. pointtoo be would occasion during my research accessI began toto therealize balcony that some interviewee, around Itook theneighborhood,had from random pictures direct outside. I of doingsome of my subjects,my capture usage from to question In order currentaskingthis directly of to the apart balconies, but I considered that taking picture in suchright place tostress two more points. an is the here believe I that, Before section. next inthe them to back come I will neighborhood. man, whoused duringsocialism, active mechanic enclosebalconies one and worker to in the 42 CEU eTD Collection word. the of meanings the in all block, communist in the lives their of most lived who people some of meaningfulis story, here,itas apartial,from though make Iregard stated want they what what to arefree readers the though a much Even discovery. of amountto not does there is depicted made available. I am resilient to labeling the following chapter “Results” since,in my view, what nowturn presentingto the opinions, insights, feelings, memories my and perceptions interviews Taking into account the dynamics of the field depicted above andethnography calls a “spy”my (Forsey 2004), but I surelypositionality was an Other. in it, I will reflexive me, consideredinformants the what ifmy notknow beimpressed. Ido an outsider to disastrous. Not to mention the case whenintimate, such a talk should private be made with a personhabits, their about from talking refrain people Generally, barriers. communicational some itself posed regarded asas a legacy of the theyhavethat of more and mixedfeelingsthan nature Furthermore, the nuanced that. topicthe socialist times whensecondly they triedsuch to show that they disapprove of a the smallsystem. I know from previous occasionstalk and period, the of hardships the stressed couldthey firstly, strategies: rhetorical two employed prove respondents the of Most socialism. under life the to referring when case the obviously was This would be. expectations answerbutproperly,in to manner a such sothat they would they my confirm what thought most of interviews,the that people muchtried as possibleansweras my notto questions impossible to alter, before conducting my interviews. Consequently, my feeling was, throughout 43 CEU eTD Collection for mountainous regions, where the winds are not that strong. Consequently, the blocks were not were blocks the Consequently, strong. that not are winds the where regions, mountainous for buildto wrong.The models were used ofblocks the techniques flats followed most suitableof the beginning from direction. everybody But knows thatthis is thewindy direction inthiscity. They made amistake “ discontent: explanations for the poor conditions of livingin those blocks, thus confirming people’s were poorly built serious flaws.and hadanumberof Mr. offers Ungureanu extensive regime of the fall mid until the from 70’s the constructed why flats the showed Ialready chapter used to sleep in the same she andherhusband enclose tothebalcony, deciding Before balcony.room connectedtothe windows with her two children,and sometimes,in harsher nights,because the snow would gointo the room, due to the poor design of the it was warmer. full snow with balcony winter became the the during that in hermidfifties, alawyer recalls now In the previousElena, balconies. the to connected rooms the in cold very thus and windy very was it that fact the balconies their enclosing for reason principal the as identified myinterviewees of one Every knowledge oflocal ortheimportance wind 4.1. The everything was sanctioned promptly and peoplefinedjailed or for smaller non-existent or deeds? placeinasociety otherwise, where, could take alargeillegal phenomenon possible thatsuch drovemany wasit so that lawinordertoenclose theirbalconies? the to How trespass people haveWhat could been sopowerful reasons alargeas socialism phenomenon. during balconies point of non-existence. the to isit muchweaker,almost currently however,enforcing Unlike past, the promulgated. Ungureanu, the Mayor’sregime and is, still because lawhasthe unchangedremained from it1977, when was office official, Ceausescu’s illegalduring balcony was the already in enclosing As the Introduction, stated described the enclosure of the The blocksthere ”. Moreover, the official remembers, the types of blocks the architects chose blocks of types the architects official”. Moreover, the the remembers, [in the neighborhood I study] I neighborhood the [in 44 were built ontheNorth-East CEU eTD Collection brings us to the core of the subject matter relationship. coreof ofthisbrings state/citizens subject ustothe the paper: necessity, arguably the salient one, wasconditions the paradoxes was not at all of the theonly officialreasons people redistribution had particular built weather to the from necessity toenvironment inadequacy But the stemming of enclose their system.balconies. This Another type of flawed logic. littleare a political grounds toassert with discontent regime,the its maybe,byhinting except at since the enclosure of balcony stemmed out of the necessity to cope with the harsh weather, there makedifferently,adopt life to bearable. their Put to wereforced kindpeople strategy coping of a environment, of the conditions “objective” the to of adaptation itwas aclearact that believe of space appropriation its–with political implication- Lefebvre that mentions. (1991) Rather, I consider the act of enclosing the balcony neither an act of resistance to the state logic, nor aform I would Consequently, one. pragmatic and particular local, a with the regime, of knowledge city, tosaying amounts people that factsubverted universalisticthe in andgeneralistic type of of the conditions weather by particular the balconies wasdetermined of enclosure the determined adaptation of theirhouses to the actual environmentin which they existed. By stressing that what necessary beof aform to appears balcony the enclosure of people’s From this perspective, whostroveproduce universally to applicable principles, and rules designs. in particular, regimes socialist the of and in general, regime high-modernist any of feature salient and representsa local particularknowledge disregard(1998) considerscontexts of the that Jamesin Scott their context. butto alsomisplacedrelation andill-fitted constructed only poorly 45 CEU eTD Collection last until spring. Sugar, rice, oil, meat, prickles and sauerkraut, to name to mostjust the andsauerkraut, prickles until rice,oil,meat, last Sugar, spring. to potatoes, 60 or even 80kilos of buy to people up from would November, sources, different not would inproduct all.inbest or beavailable example October at The thissenseispotatoes: one had to buy in large amounts, either for further exchange, or for those periods when that given probably mostthe strategic advantage.The problem with buying thingsonthismarketwas that things properly represented store capable of to nature being process, illegal the sometimes needs. Since theflux and of exchange goods were discontinuous dueto informal the and develop andnetworks acquire parallel relations and theto basic products tosatisfy minimum to for needs the started insufficientand people Consequently, family. foundan of if average was I prefer the term “ Forthe purposes of paper this perfected. inventedand“Frigidaire 2000)was socialism” (Bodnar official market were strictly tobuy order like products basic food meat. milk, The sugaror quantities one buy could on the limited. This is whenThe “craziness” bymy mentioned peoplemeantinterviewee that had cue forto long in hours, and why secondary or informal economy or started sausages. Thenextdaythewhole at storewas all.Then empty;nothing the whole craziness there were onlyfishalmost cans that nobodywould ever buy. Iwas lucky: Igotthelastpair of “ phenomena: the of days early the remembers then, kids born newly two of father a and now fifties in late hismy of mainlyrespondents, began.One groceries, products, rationalization of different Starting with the early 80’s, along with the rapid urban development plan, a severe and puzzling food scarce artofstoring 4.2. The ”. One day I went to the grocery store for my One dayIwentusual shopping.looked around tothegrocerystore for I and refrigerator socialism refrigerator ”. Food was very hard to find on the state official market, 46 CEU eTD Collection to document the mythologies of everyday life in socialist Romania. storing things, but I strongly believe thatthis is avery fruitful site forfurther research, that would greatly contribute 9 notproblem storing only proper of representative items, followed sameline.the Butbuyingin large amounts posed difficultthe that I interviewed, and their situation is paradigmatic for many others. As wedsatthe many newly for others. is paradigmatic situation theirand Iinterviewed, that a family of case the isexactly more This people. or for three meters, square and 60 between 50 ranged apartment athreeroom of surface average the that fact the of irrespective times, socialist As shown in Chapter three, a flat with a balcony represented the utmost living comfortduring the aview with 4.3. Kitchen stored on the balcony. Iwill consider all these points in turn. provide both for the materials to enclose the balcony and for the items, in large amounts, to be livingbebalconyhad space;b)you enclosed; a network(s)youcould that to c) werepartof a extra an into balcony the turn to have not did you a) that meant it because but follow), to that times, that you were really lucky.because Not youmanaged somehow toavoid the law (more on in those meant, it on things store and balcony your enclose to able be To narratives. informants’ The story of balconies implications. political if any little, bore and faced, people is necessities alsodifferent to primarily answered balcony the of enclosure the again, thestress might story of miss Consequently, them separately would point. areinterlinked,the I balconies andconsidering housing conditions, for enclosing the tworeasons storages.These food market requiredthat conditions of the harsh the to due use it, to necessary absolutely became it now weather the of conditions harsh which areit, duetothe enclose to necessary itwas Because in handy. came balcony the circumstances, woven into my It is not the place here to make any references about the diverse and highly creative techniques that were used for used were that techniques creative highly and diverse the about references any make to here place the is not It 9 , but also of a proper storing space. Under these 47 CEU eTD Collection immediately torn down. were balconies built law.illegal the All the of firstenforcing targets the were these because build the missing balconies themselves. However, this foul proved play, as Ungureanu told me, for storing things or for more space, they employed, mainly, balconies from Since upperfloors. the floors faced people from ground the thesameneeds either two strategies. One of them was to the usagesof aboutthe moreilluminates aspects floor ground from the balconies absence of manner, moreinvestigation. anIn a Derridean further represents for the even challengingtopic it of category had purposes Thefirstexceedsthe nobalconies. this people paper even though of newly of apartments builtblock,get the floor one were unlucky groundthe which of a enough to If you have didnot balconymeantyou it things: two a either lived inan or blockolder flats, of balcony of absence-presence 4.4. The cooking their dinner. nostalgically,somehow Sezen, kitchen. in the sink the and fridge remembers the with balcony, the on was stove that from her balconytransformed into the livingroom asleepingand into balcony: room the prolonged the kitchen the she could observe face They situation. hadnew Thus,they to the flatcrowded. became the after, cameshortly her kids playing lived ina flatsblock before, andfor of newly whilethe weds - butbearable. secondthe When children also place. Before the first child was born the situation was awkward - both for her parents who never their to parents old her bring to had Sezen food, of rationalization the and plan development by the both about brought countryside the in conditions difficult the of because however, apartment room inthree a with a provided were newhusband her and block interviewee, my Sezen, 80’s, the of ofbeginning flats. This was more than they ever wanted and hoped for. Soon, 48 CEU eTD Collection careful careful tobe not seen from outside. she that still some kept boxes small andwere she herput potatoes other useful butthings, being however, confessed, complicitly She anymore. clothes dry to allowed even not was she recalls, her (which courtyardhouse of old regime dueto was neverdemolished the change). Asshe disclosing frametothe iron the balconies. She to took immediately their and complied, proceed to have they that saying note official an received neighbors, 25 with together Oveioza, enclosehad to herbalconymoving after soon because in, of day, heavywind.Butone the she make for However, be newsimilarblocks. room to in destroyed which house order was to she received aflatoverlooking the as mainboulevard fora compensation her small,single unit for afurniture wasbuiltregime.keeper When socialist the during neighborhood the enterprise of clothes, especially on those regarding drying more the severesteps took such, they as balconies enclosurethe of eyes tothe balconies facing the main boulevards.balcony was Mrs. also Oveioza illegal, was a is on hasnot into beenthe drying clothes The problem balcony, that aroom. turn it provided bookas Ungureanu the on not if else, Where confirmed.inhabitants. other the by clothes of drying the of re-interiorization He went on to say that if theyrooms, the appropriation of spacesthese by from inhabitants the ground-floorthe determined the closed their in common drying specialdesigned ofthe conceptions wereexternalized, blocks, clothes of the original inthe If today. until unchanged is situation this myresearch, of focus the represents store inhabitants-the in to surplusthe products.In order food of blockthe their flats that of serve thecommon appropriate –clothes rooms for drying blocks the designed to originally of of The alternative strategy employed by most of the people living on the ground floors was to 49 CEU eTD Collection two majorthe exposed shortcomingsbalconies the of usages unofficial The citizens. its and State socialist the between of socialist intersection of point salient the believe, I represents, balcony redistribution: the on two the of overlapping The food and leads tofiercehousing. competition. Living space andfood were two of the most valuable such resources. In my view, communalis spaces. It nothingthemechanism: surprising in this the scarcity of resources usually case the of appropriated that neighbors those of actions the because also sometimes but market, state and official of the environment the built of becauseof shortcomings the only not balconies, highlighting point, is atthis peopleforced toattach that were functionsnumerous totheir is I thinkworth What time. very same the at necessities, needsand basic orthree two least for at providing socialism, during space living pivotal areal as appears light, new in this balcony, the balcony. the Thus, to attached functions to the added 2and 3) in Picture (asseen Drying clothes drying clothes everything in near garden the theblock. Henever his enclosed balcony again and usedit for only he made threw and frame waswooden was the since easy Theprocedure didhimself. it he that havepay forwould also to thedemolition ifmade bystate’s employees, he up gave and know him let authorities When note. official an received not had situation, same inthe though a month. Buthestill disclose refused balcony, histo because neighbor, especially hisopposite him 5000 lei. he Since was a low ranking his administrator, monthly salary was 2500lei around which insensitivewas also enclosed. TheofficialsAlexandrescu’s were and to fined argument balcony, a similarly but picture), the of left the on runs (which boulevard main the face not hedisclose 1)does officialhisbalcony,balconyrefusedthe note, Picture to arguing that (see received he When lucky. less was Oveioza, Mrs. of neighbors 25 the of one Alexandrescu, Mr. 50 CEU eTD Collection during socialism was characterized by a mixture of fear, negotiations, small boycotts, adaptation, boycotts, small fear, negotiations, mixture of bya characterized was during socialism Amorerelationship matterview of be State/citizens would the balanced that the overstatement. is an people over rule andeasily better to in order realities these created intentionally nature of the built environment were both controlled and driven by the state, to say that the statea permanent and radicalin sincein monitoring they other were each wereutterly preoccupied people; themselves people competition. And was State The be required exaggerated. not in soactivelysomewhatto involved monitoring while the State was notinto techniques, livesthe citizens. of the Mystudy that this me,however, convinces viewis innocent - scarcity its intrusion, surveillance high through overarching degreeof stress continuously State’s the and the Many authors, who analyze the state apparatus of the socialist regime, especially Romanian ones, competition for resources is much tobeeasier controlled, monitored, organized and governed. in body, stark social adivided Naturally, of balcony. the space by the State the appropriating andopposed a unified body resisted that social harder talk about itis State’sto the action, even by caused of scarcity lines the along divided sincewere themselves people involved. Moreover, were citizens in day-to-day caseswhich regular to beapplied can statementonly Again, this State. the behalf of of authority on reinforcement and sporadic arbitrary irregular, and behalf of people the on andboycotts sabotages small confrontations, lateral negotiations, by constant characterized Romania was not one of open confrontations, of radical antagonisms, but this relationship was balconies State/citizens thefact clearly the insocialist everyday that pinpoints relationship 51 CEU eTD Collection example. in the case of balconies, as told to me by my informant, is representative and constitutes a second facing the exact same problems as the rest of the population. The way in which law was enforced Mayor’s office. The officials members apparatus fromvery especially lower informantwell rankingstate too, likemy the that knew officials whostate Moreover, needs. and were necessities their of because called cases, the of most in to enforce the law misrepresentation this reality.the of a blatantwas People “incriminating” habits, living had those and reform the moralspower, some sociologists of the timewere raised issuethe innumber a of academic articles. However, of changes fabric inpopulation.with the theirgiven Surprisingly, nature the the of relationship social a series dramatic of ledto urban areas to people rural of displacement brutal rapid and the in how which they taught to were reformteach people to livinghabitstheir andpractices. Indeed, he morals.the that andhis Ungureanu confirmed in were tosit colleagues often asked trainings uncivilized a seriesand through ofnewspaper aimed articles,guides andtrainings reforming at and asbackward practices these denounced discourse official The process. urbanization outcomes and bad habits of the flats were inevitable people infront blocks inthe of of thesmall gardens cultivating vegetables coming from the rural areas insidewas largelystoring houseandof drying practices heldthatthe It of things,clothes of the to the cities, as part of the bereformed to 4.5. Peasants duplicity and above all,necessity. Ibelieve that the following examples ground my assertions. deals, favors, talk, double arbitrary, ambiguity, complicity, compliance, accommodation, 52 CEU eTD Collection anarchy that usually dominated the social body usually large.anarchy social body the that at dominated of with almost state the sharp contrast in publicfaçadecame preoccupation an with ordered further this noted that butalsoScott norm. façade (1998), the and Stites, represented rational urbanin socialistinteractionsstrong emphasis and architecture, public a on adisciplined design hadtobesafeguarded” and the façade the façade, part of nature of State/citizenthe relationship during Romania: socialist “ the to answer thekey in factrepresents that butthen I realized memoment, for a flabbergasted were the balconiesforimportant so theofficials passing city.the through The answer Igot and why duality; sea-side.Ungureanu the ambiguity why this Iasked city the theirto on way beginningthe of seasonwhenhigh summer the rankingpass officials wereexpected to through balconies and personally monitor their destruction.This scenario latter morefrequent was before some randomly, again pick, then would Bucharest from official The them. with field the on meant the that official from Bucharestwould unannounced come insist andwouldon going out monitor the destroying of the enclosure. This was the positive scenario. The most unpleasant one to had have would they them, sent had if they because bin, dust the into warnings allthe throw official came, they would show that their work is in progress. After the official left, they would awarningwrite a hundred owner. tothe upto They When would write suchwarnings. the official’s visit. They would randomly select some enclosed balconies, take some picture and then a Bucharest threedays prior or to field two the on out his wouldUngureanu go and colleagues regime of the facade the 4.6. Saving 53 . Richard Stites (1989)suggestedthat . Richard Stites well, yousee,thebalconyis CEU eTD Collection neighborhood by neighborhood sporting legalbehavior and“civilized” manners. When I interviewed him,he that, in his he receivedwas argument his it The after, meeting superior. with open followingsoon aharsh position, hein and for theneighborhood, same reasons, heenclosedbalcony. his he re- had to However, should set most Like people the with hisitbuilt, of room anddaughter. since together was wife a apartment positive three same in the lived He retired. is he now and official police ranking middle a example as socialism to the servedduring officials.Mr. Craciun is the State paradoxically, strictunder that scrutiny, rest category social certain of a was there notwithstanding, the This cyclically. and randomly enforced inhabitantsprone in was authorities nottoomatter thelawin trespassers were andpunishing the this in the seen,the As have case. we atypical balconies represents of enclosure the sense, In this regime. the of reconfirmation subtle to the contributed in turn, mechanisms, All theseconfusing for animaginary deed. crime,how harsh, or if punishmentany, the be. will Or,on contrary,the you could getaccused a when youknow committed not you do confusion: creates arbitrariness the society. However, evil, fabric of the blends into isnot the it that the evil make regimebearable; the authorities by inexplicable laxity law,of contrary, the sudden unexpectedgranted orthe permissions the the regime. the that accommodate On to impossible itbe would concludes, be thewould case,Plesu frequently with associated inflexible punishment vigilance. laws,immediate and If total that dictatorship:characteristic itsarbitrariness of about “ the Andrei Plesuwrote (1995) us like 4.7. People insufficiently analyzed evil aspectofimperfect insufficiently ” (1995: 64).Henotes ” (1995: adictatorshipthat is regime 54 CEU eTD Collection “ first, butbecame he gazeof happened, then glad awareof at others: the suspicious the hewas obscure positionan to atleastdemoted job, or lose his hewill hewassurethat for the United States, left sister sinceWhen Moreover, his that Ungureanu heexperienced admitted lower feelings. similar status. this was thebalcony was anindicative sign andof status for Craciun having anunclosed balcony meant a general the Inthis competition, resources. for in competition severe were they thefactthat due to rule in such myfosters people that room.extra each other This,scrutinizing Ithink, argument wereclosely cases. Butintoan apparatus, itstore sothat needbalcony links they turn theon State notthings with or the when strong very having as not did nothing who those considered balconies their enclosed who those hand, of these very analytical overview see Deletant (1995). 10 who could links ashavingstrong regarded withreasons, those Securitate. the different for balconies, their enclose not could who those hand, one On others. the suspected wherea state everybody led law to of the enforcement by arbitrary caused uncertainties the that believes He Ungureanu. with talk my in paradoxes these to explanation an for seek I closely people most graspable evenfor the to Partymechanisms.related the andhardly more situation ambiguous the fact, much was In “moral” duties. and other norms of irrespective system, in the place their from benefiting fully were officials State be that would “logical” deduction The paramount. citizens among madethe confusion of This state affairs balcony during those times, but he felt that his prestige in the neighborhood was lost. a cope Not without for very only thishehadto rememberedheupset episode. that that was They The role Securitate played in making Ceausescu’s regime possible is too broad a topic to be mentioned here. For a For here. be mentioned to a topic broad too is possible regime Ceausescu’s making in played Securitate role The [colleagues, friends] [colleagues, thought Iwas working for 55 them [Securitate], but I know but Iknow was cleanI 10 On the other ”. CEU eTD Collection say precisely identify the important actors of the regime. Second, it shows that what isit usually shows of thatwhat Second, actors regime. the identify important the say precisely to difficult very making thus levels lower and local the at power of effacement the to pinpoints underpinned thelife the socialistin under regime Ceausescu’s Firstly,Romania. it Ithink I believe that Ungureanu’s story is salient in expressing the ambiguities and uncertainties that him fear. Iquote of Ibelievebecause length because heat point the is makes crucial: job properly partly their doing not were his colleagues thatheand confessed system. Ungureanu hierarchic of the for rest the case the not this was local representatives, Party top knew the everybody clearlymarked. visible and If werenot andrelations positions hierarchical power inmade the conversation,Furthermore, during acrucial point regard: same the our Ungureanu noothers, one, Ungureanu himself, having arealbasisfor their opinions. However,changed: he acknowledged he hisstatus by was enviedbysome,that anddespised pairs and never contacted the owners directly. owners the contacted never and pairs department, either hiswife worked there, or something like that. After that, we only went on the field in Police the in connections some had owner the that out found We later down. calmed everything avoid the destruction of the balcony.Apparently, the ownerof the balcony said that my colleagueI hadblackmailed him and askedto formoney to go to the Police too the balcony andand not mailed it as itwas usually testify. the case. The second day Police came tookand him. After a few days suddenlygot almost jailed. He was stupid enoughto write a warning and thenwent to hand it himself to the owner of even if I knew, Icould not know the relations he had, with whom and so on. One of my younger colleagues just to cover my going on the field. But that’sboulevard orall. full of drying clothes. Because Naturally, Ihad to take a photo and write a warning.I thought: Iusually did both, who knows who thatTake person the example is. And of balconies. Let’s say I was on the field and saw an enclosed balcony overlooking the 56 CEU eTD Collection brought the iron frame to Mr. Vasile’s house but, he remembers with disappointment, “ disappointment, with he remembers but, house Vasile’s Mr. to frame iron the brought from construction the site andasked workers onethe to weld of them Other workers together. some help bars chief the hisbalcony. took him site, to relative a construction iron of His enclose of his cruises. Mr. Vasile, a school teacher, remembers that he asked his brother-in-law, who was as whoa repairman. worked he In broughtexchange, hiscolleague bleu-jeansa pairfrom of one Duran, anavytime. materials Mr. balcony the the from forenclosing got personal, a colleague, However, all my informants wereother much better placed within informal the networks of the in exchange. offersomething nor materials, get necessary the beto able neither they will knew they since balcony the enclosing ata lowerhavehad with willingprice. were afurcoat never of Thus,they thought people old to they theonly contacts that with some regret, She admits, association]. [professional Cooperativa retire very early due to her medical condition,system, capableof materials.providing such makes Mrs.Violan this very point Shehadclear. to while her husband worked as a tailor, informalparalleled networks that the official be the of part one of hadto absurd. Inturn, one in a small If enclosing illegal, balcony the legallyideawas the of isdo it materialsthe purchasing to networks informal ofthe hub 4.8. The more closely. issues with these deals section connectbutstructure informalthe one waspartof, The next networks toto. one wasbeingable hierarchical official the important that not was it that seems it time: the of networks informal loosen this members, asall apparatus facedregarded aseriesmighty and oflimitations state that challenges view. Third, Ungureanu’s recollection brings the discussion to the core of the 57 the CEU eTD Collection older types of trolleybuses (thus new in the 80’s). Consequently, the person who owns the owns who person the Consequently, 80’s). the in new (thus trolleybuses of types older Thesesign forregular windows,distinction arenobut 1984). of (Bourdieu they were designed clear a are them around rubber the and windows the common, less or more is frame iron the If the balcony. enclosing usedfor thematerials however, are in picture, Whatbalcony.this strikes very organized closed, aneatly shows one first fall. The regime the before enclosed balconies let’s ordertobetter understand with1984). In 5,bothdepicting Picturethis, contrast 4 Picture instancecould Balcony oneparticular whenpeopleassestheir (Bourdieu, capital was symbolic success. andofsocial status of matter a represented but also balcony, the enclose to materials Thus, being informalpart of an caterednetwork not foronly basic items, such as food or participantshould gain materialsomething, symbolic.or The force network revolveddriving of any aroundsuch the tacitunderstanding that every a from network(s). ledexclusion networks that total form,of to in informal the context or the inanyshape reciprocate, to impossibility the stress however,that I needto limited paper. of this between Mauss’ andanalysis informal the socialist networks might prove exotic too aims for the a parallel drawing admitthat I equaledadefeat. reciprocate to failing while chaos, war and the gift and then to reciprocate. emphasized firstly exchange Marcel Mauss (1932)the obligation counter-giftto relations, accept Refusing couldmaterials providefor offeringwhile something inexchange.When one’sanalyzing the gift- gift, Mauss underlines,All the other was stories synonymous follow, with in broad lines, by fairly son teachers. will be treated his other the madebrother-in-law Vasile sure that the same pattern: workers somebodydid nothelphimset thewhole thingand hehadto do it himself knew somebody who 58 ”. In exchange, Mr. exchange, In ”. CEU eTD Collection 11 for bourgeois,before, balcony,the the indeed it, practices surrounding the represented and a bourgeois thinking.the infact, Asstressed unconsciously, one’s people reproduced distinction, assessing of place the as balcony the By and citizens. envisaging the state the between mismatch it theideological butalso exposes of governance, matters in and of society practical state terms others. Thus, I believe,offered the possibility differentiation,of of assessing success, one’s of distinguishing from the the also socialist but necessities, basic fulfilled only not balcony the etc), cars balconyclothes, (houses, similar stands not only at total of mostegalitarianism and of more less objects possiblethe where distinction or were the intersection point inrhetorically Consequently,envisaged asociety in networks. that theinformal one’s position between question into whichbrings express thetaste to be first able had one to taste: of mere expressions I believe Buchli’s pointis valid, butin the case of balconies, people’s choices were more than house. the around arrangefurniture was in tothemanner the which or theirdecorate apartments, with their Heexemplifiesthoughtwith hispersonalities. own embroidery the usedpeople to impersonal space andofmarking away arather taste theirconstituted of personal expressing built Buchlimade peopleVictor the adjustments that tothe environment (1999) suggests type,less network, whichstrong could provide only minimalfor items. in shapematerials, and avery poor ordinary with balcony, of a 5shows aregular enclosure Picture Bycontrast, visible. extremely it renderingsay nobalcony thus mainboulevard, the steps. Needles to took this overlooks and enclosure the of provenience unusual the noted probably most who authorities local the with also but amount, large a in such materials the got s/he where from sector, system transportation the with both connections strong had to had interview) an for reach not could I that (and balcony The glass was brokenfew hours before I took the picture, by a bunchof kids who wanted to have fun. 11 . The owner of this balcony was definitely in a different 59 CEU eTD Collection sources, as already depicted, but could not find a person to do the job. Then, Georgica came at job. came do the Georgica Then, findto person not a could but depicted, asalready sources, whocustomers. Ononehand,could themselves most materials of those procure the from diverse law prohibitedrepaired orchanged. Iasked Georgica what were the actual steps of enclosing balconies since the and most neighbors,his and of still of some him the them today be neededcall somethingwhen is to materialsvisitcard for his skills. He admits proudly interviewduring our thathe enclosed balconiesthe of hard balcony not onlywas asign positioningof ingood to the networks, informal butalso as stood a find? First, dried,in where makemore and bebetter the balcony.Georgica’s could room clothes thus he recalls, balcony, side of the exterior the to a wasattached special device Moreover, iron with protections. there enriched windows wereadditionally butthe materials, fine with closed, itwas perfectly that well were Mr. Georgica’s balconytwo was considered amasterpiece of the time (as seen in Picture 6). Not only types of thebalcony ofenclosing art The 4.9. neighborhood. the around balconies enclosing he was because analysis, in this “ title, official to the specialist.Mr. Georgica isnow 64 all andlife worked his as a “ Ihad a moreforclothes, butalso status, totalk sensitive issueslikedistinctionandsocial to Since notenclosing catered onlyfor balconies the basic likestoring ordryingthings food Romania. socialist lifeof everyday characterized the that other, the relations between the state and the citizens, on one hand, and between the citizens themselves, on indicativewere capable instilling. The balcony thus of most the sign represented of types the of from to much peoplefrom itsbut attached practices balcony, physical the the shape andtexture, so not stemmed distinction the here, I scrutinize context socialist the In of differentiation. matter repairing andhelping people things 60 ”, as he describes himself. He is crucial is He himself. describes as he ”, mechanic locksmith ”, according CEU eTD Collection Mayor todothis job,not atall Securitate from “ that he interview, stressing but allegation, bluntly the our dismissed enter people’s houses inand togatherinformation. order posed I question this to Georgica during links with the Securitateto me, Mr. Alexandrescu praised his skills but at the same andtime warned me that Mr. Georgica had that is the reason everybody my frames ‘clients’. But could,allyouhadtodowasfor ask he was allowed tobecause there theytook from large amounts ofmaterials. Thisishow wasI abletoprovide iron enclose balconies:“ to easily their surpluses. totrade wanted for people who point meetinginformal an heorganized house, “ materials, Contrary myto informants, Mr.Georgicaother wasmuch morefinding optimistic about proper enclosure would take a only a day, usually on Sunday, the only free day of the week. the welded, properly were bars iron the If holydays. the of time the around food, mainly do, buthe products, hehad job also accepted 300 Lei, of to on a 100uptotype the depending money,from a sum of of paying consisted usually The counter-offer theircourse, counter-offer. of and, theypreferred materials of whattype wanted, “clients” the enclosure of type the about usually in a neighbor, set up order a meeting.to During the meeting Georgica wouldinquire other types of connections tocompensate. They approached him an intermediary,through groupof other people who of consisted couldthose notfind thematerials themselves, buthad inworkingor, hurry, and a those onhisimmediately.him start really ask door knocked to The eitherhandy. approached bywhoschedule beforehand Hewasusually to people phoned aday, Everybody who sites orintheharbor,had somethingtoexchange, workedin Everybody construction only thatyouhadtobepatientandwaittheright for moment ”. 61 I got an approval from the I gotanapprovalfrom ”. Before introducing him ”. Beforeintroducing ”. In his small locksmith CEU eTD Collection visible in Picture 8. Paradoxicallyinvisible Picture if having socialism then, fromduring balcony different a the anditis as noted, Mr.Georgica as standardization leads This,indeed,to 7). (as seeninPicture balcony, with a new one made of better, standardized materials purchased from prestigious stores prosperity in post-socialist times, among other things, was to replace the old iron enclosure of the the last floors. Balconynew ones,by constructing balconies at the ground floor, or an followedextra room on top of blocks,the at the same building or walls, unnecessary by destroying either and tastes, newnecessities the to according broad lines. A clear housing,private leda series to of drastic changes.Peoplesign fully reshaped their dwellings of economic success in state the concerning regulating the activities Private ownership,demise of a total with coupled and obsolete. became in large food store amounts need to the andsecondly, of theirowners apartments, crucial in thedefining newfunctions of balconies:the on one hand, peoplebecame thelegal were major phenomena After thefall two of regime balconies.the of transformation socialist followin Bodnar stressingtheimportance of ownershipinprivate understanding the post- for from transition the state toprivateownershipit theeffects and for urban the entailed space. I periods is given the regime of property, and that an analysis of post-socialist cities has accountto capitalist and the socialistbetween the main difference the that wrote Bodnar (2000) Judit perdu du balcon recherche Ala 4.10. now. Why the same? The answer to this question brings us in post-socialist times. care so much for their balconies as they used to, and, apart from this,most of them look the same walkDuring our Georgica through neighborhood, the became sad. Henoticed thatpeople donot 62 CEU eTD Collection rather thanin amnemonicrather balcony 11isillustrative be seems (picture thissense): one the to function ofthebalconies, instrumental amore suggestrather are mannerindisplayed they which the and balconies on now stored are that objects of type the Moreover, disapproval. their show moments. personal to Asonly limited and I slim very said,were interviews the throughout sprang people that discourses tried to mainly emphasizeintersections during socialism,to Istarted out thistease To line bethought. of nostalgic sure,the the negative social core of diverse the at wereplaced balconies since the Nonetheless, enterprise. hazardous aspects of the regimemetabolism and Pierreof a nation. Nora vs.instrumentality (1989)Analyzing Memory 4.11. discusses balconies the in formationthis such 10for (see Picture mixture). an eclectic vein mightand fromold the and, growing things, time, plants having to time unproblematically together acoffee, go prove, roles at some storing clothes, a drying of ahybridspace,where constitutes balcony people, other the most of first the placesglance,suggestive in But,based this respect. onmy suchcasesminority.observations, represent a For of a memoryhighly is theflowers of role decorative The world. the gaze at to where from space intermediary in the 9) Picture opened uptheir balconies with view torecreate a bourgeoisthe functions of an yetbebalconies, to aredefinedrefined.post-socialistis and Somein people (asit thecase tothe is newfunctions my attached the that out of clearly Whatinterviews comes intersection. focal be of a point ceasedto balcony the disappeared, food balconies store on need When to the same purposes. rest, was the real sign of prestige,in post-socialisttimes conforming to the norm,fulfils the exact 63 CEU eTD Collection people in blocka Romanian flats of attachedto balconies. their practices by lookingpartiallyat the unveil, tried this paper disappeared to which some of world, ofa meaningful believetraces by thatare traversed balconies This notwithstanding, Istrongly point this betweenmemory in tension instrumentality, and currentusagesof the balcony.the itMoreover, further groundsforthe sets inquiry on balconies employ would that as a starting I believe that this last point opens a large discussion that exceeds the limits of the present paper. reasons. nostalgic for necessarily not away, but throw yetready to not is things one those store place to proper 64 CEU eTD Collection relationship both in its official intersection (as expressed by the official architectural in by officialarchitectural discourse) its intersection the relationship(as expressed both official seek to employ my strategic research site –the balcony – as an opportunity to look at State/citizen Thus, I people. lifeordinary of daily with practices the andcollided intersected dispositions official the in which manner the asses to was my goal neighborhood, Romanian in a conducted an focus. ashiftof paperattempted ethnography The secondof the There,through part the level of built environment, the State/citizen relationship. for balconies, asepitomizing, the at envisaged functions andthe official architectural discourses formulated and the functions of the balcony assigned. Thus I could contrast the different official were indiscourses thearchitectural contexts social which broader the to while alsoreferring In myso doing mainfocus was on differences the and particularities respectivethe of periods Romania. Ceausescu’s Leninism, and of re-interpretation Stalinist the architecture, revolutionary Leninist the origins, bourgeois the instances: different theoretical and historical four in with functions the balcony associated the and discourses theofficialarchitectural investigates Thefirstinterlinkedone parts. on two wasstructured the paper ground mypoint, In orderto ahighly represents political hypothesisthe balcony,in andprivate the socialist Iopposed sphere, context, public that between space intermediary isan balcony that belief held widely the To practices. everyday from viewpoint andalso the of people’s discourses, of officialarchitectural perspective the the from both balcony socialist the of functions the into inquire to was paper this of purpose The topos of intersection between the State and citizens. State the the between intersection of 5. Conclusion 65 CEU eTD Collection nevertheless, superimposed the total influence and involvement of the State and its Ruler. The Ruler. its and State the of involvement and influence total the superimposed nevertheless, he, features were Onthese that from features Leninist one. totally the expelled architectural some of Stalin’srhetoric,voicing regime, though bourgeois arevolutionary reintroduced the death. Lenin’safter soon andcondemned, utterly and materialized were abandoned never actually belief in living. communal revolutionary Leninist However, the interms dreams, of architecture, general a outside balcony, the for function special any envisage not did they Thus, emerged. balcony the of which out distinction public/private especially the architecture, bourgeois the were constitutive of that features bourgeois the all dismissed utterly The Leninist revolutionaries hearing. the senses: gazeand two the around centered inferior while Others, with the indefined opposition and part. balcony part parcel identity Consequently, take was bourgeois the having actually of to publicspacewithout public the of togazeatthe bourgeoisie needspectacle fulfilled the the of balcony the Thus, sphere. public the and private the between site intermediary an as identity, of The balcony, part of as builtthe emergedfrom environment, 19 the very same time. at the perspectives, two from asseen these intersection State/citizens socialist issueof with ticklish the as architecture, embodied in form the of balconies, noraboutpeople’s life,everyday it butdeals official about neither is my research again, stress should I Consequently, life). everyday intheir by by people developed practices the intersection (as expressed and everyday inits 66 th centurybourgeois politics CEU eTD Collection strategies in order to cope with the challenges of the regime, while retaining their official “face”; official their retaining while regime, the of challenges the with cope to in order strategies mosttheirbut develop of lower ranking position,had inventive them,especially to ones, manner; notstate officials only that not indulging werein privilegesthe allegedly by offered powerful,localbut levels at and inmany dailyissues, absent almost of the oracting inachaotic theirmore balconies,suggested profoundinsights. not only Thus, was state the notall-that much of a finding. Ibelieve,however, myinformants, that through theirstories revolving around to amount not does reality andpeople’s discourse official the between adiscrepancy note To structure of the state and of total control and surveillance exercisedlike by authorities,monolithic- the of become regime, the of loose. almightiness the of idea held widely the balcony, regular discourse and blockflats,provincial of of challenge and many official of the town, contextualize features the dispositionsin aRomanian, fieldwork my of out stem they as section, ethnography the of findings main The that underpinned Ceausescu’sdesignating the principal means communicationof between rulerthe and the citizens. as balconies, official tothe attached implications political was the regime Ceausescu’s regime. Seenthe from comfortin a difference marking by the functions, decorative rate Stalinist the than more heighthad balconies discourse, of an apartment. of a architectural In Ceausescu’s House. People’s of the inthe plans asseen tastes, personal own In that section, monumentality.he addedhis However, domestic sphereandthethe architectural both regarding I also suggested thea certainStalinistprecepts extent, to revived, conceptions architectural Ceausescu’s that the salient feature of inmonumentality in balconiesmere served which, purposes facade. decorative the fundamental mark, however, of the Stalinistregime was its emphasis on architectural 67 CEU eTD Collection far. Nonetheless, I also strongly believe that afocus on the post-socialist situation would offer so endeavor asingular my represents knowledge, futile,utterly since to not isbalcony a regular realities. Engaging inresearch lifeon everyday socialistfrom during Romania, of viewpointthe post-socialist to hinting barely while citizens, its and state socialist Romanian the between decade of relationship the the last scrutinizes My research focusmy fieldwork. ethnographic of the concerns factor substantial more The findings. these of a generalization for reasons sufficient which depicts a certain neighborhood, from a particular city in alarge country. Thus, there are no more substantial one. First, the methodological one hints to the limited nature of my fieldwork anda amethodological one, by main factors: limitedtwo is my currentresearch I believe that organized ones. intersection with contrast officially the regular this possibility the to people,offering while also crucial expressing them. Thus, taking intoaccount all the aspects mentioned so far, the balcony proved a while saliently of networks, both becausethese thebalconywasaby-product networks, these of core the at came times those of characteristic balcony enclosed life. The everyday people’s In thesame vein, thecrucialresearch reemphasized this by played in role informal networks the lateral confrontations, not of open oppositions. negotiation”. In othershould also benuanced, by introducing the terms of“accommodation, adaptation and words, the daily intersection regime tothe theideaof resistance that people’s alsomy suggested fieldwork Furthermore, reinforced. between occasionally or never, cases many in but inflexible, not was law that the only not State and citizens was one of topos of developedin of relationship as of practices State/citizen capturing the daily the the 68 CEU eTD Collection picture andforegroundingpicture actors. the correctIn thisview to one, theyseemed byre-contextualizing absent. paperItried this the totally If in Manet’s in answering them. briefly in sketched when previousthe chapter, someI only suggested possible of points departure were All threequestions onthese balconies? these stored thingsto the currently with respect aninstrumental function one, fulfill amnemonic or balconies post-socialist Whetherthe ones? bourgeois the to similarly functions mediatory fall, the after assume, could balconies socialist former notthe Whether or balconies? on discourse architectural post-socialist dominant the is what questions: interlinked major, three be to believe I what approach perspective, my from more meanings insightsinto the and functions balconies. Thus, afurtherof research, should, Balcony people were said to be effaced by the objects around them, in the socialist 69 CEU eTD Collection Picture 1: Mr. Alexandrescu’s much disputed balcony (pp 50) 6. Annexes 70 CEU eTD Collection (pp 50) Pictures 2 and 3: One of the salient features of balconies: drying clothes 71 CEU eTD Collection Picture 4: The “Bus Balcony” (pp 58) 72 CEU eTD Collection Picture 5: Low Status Balcony (pp 58). 73 CEU eTD Collection Picture 6: Mr. Georgica’s neat balcony (pp 60) 74 CEU eTD Collection Picture 7: “Newly” enclosed balcony (pp 62) 75 CEU eTD Collection Picture 8: Post-socialist uniformity (pp 62) 76 CEU eTD Collection Picture 9: Post-socialist bourgeois balconies (pp 63) 77 CEU eTD Collection Picture 10: Post-socialist hybrid balconies (pp 63) 78 CEU eTD Collection Picture 11: Place of memory? (pp 64) 79 CEU eTD Collection years] Campeanu,2002. Pavel. Buchli, 1999. Victor. 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