Stoika Chivu

Born Aug. 8, 1908, in the village of Smeeni, Prakhova District; died Feb. 18, 1975, in Bucharest. Son of a peasant.

Chivu joined the Rumanian Communist Youth League in 1929 and the Communist Party of Rumania (CPR) in 1931. He was an organizer and participant in the February Strike of 1933. After it was suppressed, he was sentenced to 12 years at hard labor. He worked in the communist organizations of political prisoners, preparing for the armed uprising of Aug. 23, 1944.

Chivu was secretary of the organizational committee of the General Confederation of Labor of Rumania in 1944–45 and its vice-president from 1945 to 1948. He was general director of railroads from 1945 to 1948 and minister of national economy from 1948 to 1952. He was appointed deputy chairman (1950–55) and then chairman (October 1955–March 1961) of the Council of Ministers of the Rumanian People’s Republic (RPR). Chivu was chairman of the State Council of the RPR (the Socialist Republic of Rumania [SRR] since 1965) from 1965 to 1967.

Chivu was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee (CC) of the CPR from 1945 to 1948. He was a candidate member (1948–52) and full member (from May 1952) of the Politburo of the Rumanian Workers’ Party (since 1965 the RCP). Chivu was secretary of its CC from 1961 to 1965. He was a member of the Executive Committee and the standing Presidium of the CC RCP from 1965 to 1969, secretary of the CC RCP from 1967 to 1969, and chairman of the Central Revision Commission of the CC RCP from 1969 to 1974. Chivu became a candidate member of the Political Executive of the CC RCP and chairman of the Central Party Board in 1974. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor (1958) and Hero of the Socialist Republic of Rumania. [12–238–1; updated]