The Ghettos Of The Romanian Middle Class

Petruț Călinescu is a Romanian photographer who documented life at the outskirts of the capital Bucharest during 2016 and 2017. What he discovered there is a between-worlds universe, where people still fish on frozen lakes and slaughter animals in front of their homes, and graze sheep right next to towering buildings; a place where witches live in palaces and old men breed “brave and determined” pigeons for competitions.

But the city’s periphery is also where fancy-named apartment buildings were erected, like “Barcelona Residence, Scandinavian Residence, American Village, French Village, Soho Apartments, Mediterranean Residence, Oxford Gardens”. Petruț Călinescu calls them “the ghettos of the middle class”.

What pushed Romanians to the outskirts is the horror of the next earthquake that will hit Bucharest and the city’s lack of preparation for a catastrophe. But even more so, people were drawn to these residences in search of the Western standard of living. Sure enough, some of these places may look like a suburban dream come true. But in fact many houses are isolated from the rest of the city due to the lack of infrastructure and have no access to basic requirements like running water, electricity, or paved roads.

This photo story offers so much insight into Romania’s transition period and how changes that came with the EU admission reflect on people’s lives that I think it’s mandatory for anyone who wants to learn more about the differences between West and East.