In the 1970s and 80s, a vibrant rock and roll culture thrived in Timișoara, Romania, defying Nicolae Ceaușescu’s repressive communist regime, which condemned Western influences. Despite censorship, young people found ways to acquire records, create their own music, and build a local rock scene. Sometimes tolerated, sometimes punished, their passion for rock and roll carried risks.
​
The revolution that toppled Ceaușescu began in Timișoara on December 16, 1989, culminating in his execution on December 25. This website explores the link between rock and roll and revolution in Timișoara: did music play a role in sparking political change?
​
"The Vinyl Revolution" preserves this history through stories, photos, audio, and video from those who grew up in Timișoara’s underground music culture. It serves both as a cultural archive and as a space of memory for locals and for anyone interested in Cold War-era authoritarianism.
​
The site’s title references the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. Calling Romania’s uprising a “Vinyl Revolution” reflects the relationship between rock music and political dissent, though many argue 1989 marked not the fall of communism in Romania, but the end of the Cold War.
​
For mobile versions, navigate through the site by clicking on the three-bar menu at the top right corner of the home page.