When I found out I would be spending 7 months in Romania last September, I realized how little I really knew much about Romania – or eastern Europe in general. This was in turn reinforced when arriving in Romania. Using Lukasz´s words (my roommate and fellow volunteer); Romania is in many ways a hidden gem, full of discoveries and oddities – some of which I’ve tried to document in this little photographic “memoir”.

– Karl Magnus Moshuus, volunteer from Norway in the project “Cre-Acting Yourself”

Overlooking the Black Sea coast, the beautiful casino in Constanța stands as a well-known landmark of the coastal city. Protected by Romanian authorities as a historical monument, unfortunately it stands today fenced in and apparently abandoned and without much being done about it.

 

Christmas 1989 the communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu came to a bloody end in Romania. A lot of buildings from that era still stand today, as post-communist pillars. Here from Plaja Modern, one of Constanțas many beaches.

 

Anghel Saligny is considered the chief-engineer and architect behind the construction of the port of Constanța, built between the years 1899-1910. Here he stands perpetuated in bronze, looking out over his legacy from a height above the port.

 

Another not so uncommon sighting in Constanța: a congestion of electric cables, especially in densely populated areas. Might they have been the cause of some house fires in the past? I don’t know.

 

Léa, our french volunteer, embracing her brother outside of a night club in Constanța. A last hug before he sets out on a long journey taking him and his buddy all the way from the Black sea coast to, hopefully, Southeast Asia. On bikes.

 

A lone dog obediently waiting for it´s owner outside of an apothecary in the street of Bulevardul Tomis in Constanța. Even though this dog probably has an owner, it is not uncommon to see stray dogs roaming the streets of the city, in search of food – or just a friendly cuddle.

 

Can you find the violinist with the Santa’s hat? Around Christmas times the street of Bulevardul Tomis in Constanța is packed with people. The street musicians dress up accordingly and use this time as an opportunity to make a few extra lei – the Romanian currency.

 

An elderly woman sits back and enjoys being entertained at an old people’s home in Eforie Sud, a little village south of Constanța. Once a month they are visited by a group of volunteers who entertain them with song and music, to the joy of both the inhabitants and the nurses. This time – Christmas celebrations.

 

A collective gasp of excitement and fascination runs over the crowd gathered at a roundabout close to the University of București. The occasion is the annual lighting of the Christmas lights that decorate the city roads. “Euro 2020” symbolizes the European football championship meant to take place this year and lights up the road in the dark of night.

 

A dog keeps guard outside of an old wooden building in the mountains close to the village of Podu Dâmboviței. It’s a common thing to have dogs chained around the property as a kind of watchdog, even in the cities.

 

Spotted while walking on a Transylvanian mountain road, fenced in and standing next to an electrical mast: a bust of Beethoven. Several art installations could be sighted in the terrain around us as we went for a walk on this road.

 

An informational message informing bypassers on safety measures against COVID-19, hangs above an art-passage on the street Bulevardul Tomis in Constanța. Right in front stands a lamppost – on top of which balances a bucket of paint that spills down the lamppost. The lamppost is not a functioning one.

 

Because of the corona pandemic, many people have to stay home. In the picture the blur of a girl can be seen. This is Lara, one of the volunteers in Constanța. She has made a habit of walking back and forth on this balcony, for two hours straight as a kind of exercise. The balcony is approximately 10 meters long.

 

A woman wearing a facemask scouts the empty street of Bulevardul Tomis in Constanța. Romania has been in a state of emergency since 16th of March – facemasks are mandatory to wear in all public spaces and you have to bring an official document and ID with you at all times. If you don’t, you risk a fine.

 

These ladies work with keeping the streets clean from garbage and the parks well-groomed in Constanța. Wearing their characteristic yellow vests, they can be found everywhere in the city´s many streets.

 

Last but not least; our russian volunteer Alisa (to the left) looks out over a beautiful view of Podu Dâmboviței – a small village in the county of Argeș.