I was born in Cluj, in 1934. I entered the Clujana Factory chorus in 1952 and I left it in 1966; those 14 years were the most beautiful period of my life. I earned 280-300 lei; there was a good earnings.

This picture was made in 1956

I loved Cluj in that time, it was very clean and there were few automobiles in the town. My family were a rich one, my father had a car, and also a taxi.

Here you can see my husband, who was playing in the Cluj-Napoca Philharmonics Orchestra.

D-na S.M.

I was born in the village called Teocul de Sus, Cornesti county, Cluj. My house was just 2 km away from the Mountain of Bobalna, who has a “brother” just behind my house, called Cherengut. Here is where people used to take stones and wood for buildings. In 1957, when I was 14, the Mountain of Bobalna was “adorned” with a statue . It generated a big celebration in the entire Cluj region, with approximately 80 busses and 50 cars, all colorful. I was standing with other children at the window and we were counting the cars that arrived. The celebration was preceded my a military parade. On Bobalna there was a plateau, where the minister Emil Botnaras was expected to arrive. He came dressed in a military outfit, with a grey fur hat. It was something extraordinary for me to take part at such a celebration, as I had never seen something like it before. There were popular dances and music.

For us, children, it was as if it was in Heaven, we thought that angels must be dancing in Heaven. We were bare footed, walking in the dust, but this was so unimportant in comparison to the fanfare playing there. Around the mountain of Bobalna there was a beautiful oak wood, called Dumbrava, that unites the two small mountains. In the north there was a spring with cold, fresh water, where young people used to refresh and drink. In the north-east of the mountain there used to be, from ancient times, a huge cave, big enough to host 60-70 people. There are inscriptions dating from the 1437 popular rising.

We, children, used to think that it was a place were the haiducs (the outlaws) used to live. Around this mountain I used to go with the sheep, around 300 animals, to Osorhei and Budus villages. In 1959 I left the village and went to live to town.

D-l. C.F.