Harsh Romania of the 90s, where flocks of sheep blocked busy streets

Like the governments of all socialist countries, the Romanian Communists really wanted to surpass the Western countries in terms of industrial development. In order to achieve higher economic indicators, peasants from rural areas, little affected by the achievements of civilization, were relocated to Bucharest. There they were placed in apartments and forced to start a career as factory workers. But people brought their usual traditions with them, although they had to adapt them to urban conditions: they cooked soap from animal fat, kept cattle in city apartments and cooked dinner in front of the entrance to the entrance, as they used to do before.

This practice continued after the fall of the socialist regime in 1989. Photographer Vali Pana tried to capture this clash of cultures. His attempt resulted in a series of photographs taken in the early 1990s‑they show a city whose residents were burning with the idea of becoming Europeans, but were not surprised when they saw a horse — drawn cart or a herd of sheep blocking the street.

A woman is waiting for someone to help her replace a wheel on a cart. In some regions of Romania, you can still find horse-drawn carts that interfere with traffic, but in Bucharest this practice is a thing of the past.

A woman cooks soap from animal fat in the yard.

Football fans eat sunflower seeds and chat on the phone while waiting for the game at the Rapid Stadium in Bucharest.

Many old churches in Bucharest were demolished to make way for large-scale socialist construction projects. However, this one remained intact.

People climb into a truck that was used to transport passengers around the city. Now these trucks are used by police units that disperse demonstrations.

A luxurious wedding in the early 1990s. Luxury American cars were rented, like limousines in our time.

Employees of a large fish restaurant demonstrate a giant beluga to prove that only fresh fish dishes are served in the institution.

The old city of Bucharest at that time was a terrible mixture of illegally occupied buildings, strange shops and eateries. Now there are expensive clubs, hotels and shops here.

A gypsy woman sells fried seeds at the entrance to the market.

The seller is resting, sitting on a melon.

A terrible traffic jam in the northern part of the city, caused by heavy rain. Many residents of the city still drive "dacia" - Romanian tracing paper from the old Renault model.

The cemetery where the heroes of the revolution are buried. Most of them died as a result of the overthrow of the socialist regime in 1989.