What It's Like Seeing Your Hometown Turn into a Ghost Town

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What It's Like Seeing Your Hometown Turn into a Ghost Town

Photographer Dragoș Hanciu is trying to freeze some of the memories of his hometown, afraid for what could be lost next time he visits.

This article originally appeared on VICE Romania

I've lived in Bucharest for the past three years but I was born and raised in the Transylvanian town of Orăștie. I visit my hometown a few times a year, and every time I go back I can't shake the feeling that Orăștie has been gradually turning into a ghost town. Most streets are empty—you might see a lonesome silhouette down the street when walking around, but nothing more.

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So this year, I decided to document the images that create this feeling of displacement in a series I called Hometown. I guess I'm trying to freeze some of my memories of Orăștie because I am afraid for what could be lost next time I visit.