The Ministry of Culture delivers a message 11 years after the Colectiv tragedy: “Our duty is to remember”

Riana Gegiu

30 October 2026, 14:12

Current Affairs

Foto: profimediaimages.ro

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The Ministry of Culture delivered a commemorative message on Friday, 11 years after the tragedy at Colectiv Club, stressing that the victims must not be forgotten and that such tragedies must not happen again.

In the message posted on Facebook, the institution recalled that, on the night of October 30, 2015, a fire that broke out during a concert claimed the lives of young musicians, artists and people involved in the cultural scene. The Ministry extended its thoughts to the victims’ families, as well as to everyone left with physical and emotional scars.

Representatives of the institution said that the Colectiv victims are part of Romania’s “living culture,” alongside the people who create in clubs, on stages, in workshops and in independent spaces. The Ministry maintains that this culture means, above all, people, and that their activities must take place in safe conditions.

The message draws attention once again to the authorities’ responsibility to preserve the memory of the tragedy and take all necessary measures to prevent similar events. “Our duty is to remember,” the Ministry of Culture said.

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Context: after Colectiv, compensation and lawsuits continue, while authorities discuss investments in burn treatment

More than 11 years after the fire at the Colectiv nightclub, litigation related to compensation awarded to victims continued in the courts. According to the case files available on the courts’ portal, the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU) tried to recover from the individuals and companies involved the amounts paid, after the Bucharest Court of Appeal established in 2022 compensation of more than 50 million euros (jointly and severally) for the victims and the families of those who died, plus more than 8 million lei for hospitals; subsequently, by October 30, 2024, ISU had reportedly paid approximately 60 million euros in compensation to around 300 survivors and their relatives.

At the same time, efforts were made in the medical field to expand care capacity for burn patients: Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete stated that preparations for a burn center in Bucharest could begin in 2027, and he also mentioned delays in payments for investments funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with financing unlocked in June.