Post-coal prom queen: Romania's lost lands – in pictures
Ioana Cîrlig captures life in the towns of Romania that were heavily industrialised under communism, but have been left adrift after the 1989 revolution and the transition to a market economy
- Part of Circulation(s) European Young Photography Festival, Paris, until 30 June
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Petroșani, the Jiu Valley coal mining area, 2014
These towns, which thrived under communism, have been dramatically impacted by the country’s transition to capitalism -
Atelierele Centrale
This is the last factory still functioning in the Gura Barza-Criscior area, a former gold mining region. Some 1,200 people used to work here. In 2012, the factory had 120 workers -
Adriana
A junior prom queen in Petrila, a coal mining town. The name of the town derives from the Latin word “petrinus” (“pietros” in Romanian), meaning “of stone”, a reference to the large coal deposits in the area -
Foraging for food
A deer searches cupboards in the Kovary family’s kitchen in Copșa Mică in 2010 -
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Foundry worker, Hunedoara county, 2013
In 1957, Hunedoara had more than 36,000 residents and was coming to be seen as a factory town, an image that would endure through to 1999 -
The coal mining town of Lupeni, 2015
Home to one of the largest mines in Romania which has reserves of 65m tonnes of coal -
Fair in Petrila town, 2014
Once a year a fair comes to small towns with travelling salesman, live music and amusement rides -
Changing space, Barza, 2013
This used to be a miner’s restaurant, then a disco in the late 90s and now it’s a coffee shop -
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Moldova Nouă, 2014
This large mine in the west of Romania in Caraş-Severin county has the second largest copper reserve in the country -
Family day
The Crăciun family out on a Sunday bike ride in the Jiu Valley, Hunedoara county in 2014 -
Bănița, Hunedoara county, 2012
This commune is composed of three villages: Bănița, Crivadia and Merișor
