The photos, that were released in an online album, were the life's work of a relatively unknown photographer names Zaharia Cusnir who passed away in 1993, they were found in 2016 by a film student who grew up in the area Victor Galusca who was exploring the little village of Rosietici that has no more than 40 inhabitants.
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An incredible find...
Amongst the rubble in an abandoned house, he came across a negative image that piqued his interest, and as he continued to search the house and as he did he found more and more. Almost 4000 images to be exact. Photography must have truly been a passion for Zaharia.
The pictures spent decades gathering dust, between being buried in rubble or stored in the attic and needed to be cleaned and processed. Victor along with his professor, after being granted permission by Cusnir's daughter gathered up all the images and spent the past 3 years cleaning, scanning and cataloguing this amazing treasure.
Dismissed as 'garbage
The photos were dismissed by Cusnir's daughter as 'garbage' however, in reality, this find has probably been one of the most extensive photographic documentation of life behind the Iron Curtain. According to his daughter, Zaharia found it hard to make it living under communist rule, as most people did, however, it is believed that he funded his hobby by selling pictures to individuals who needed them for their identification cards. A document that was mandatory in the policed state.
After years of laborious cataloguing and careful cleaning Galusca and his professor were able to share the life's work of the forgotten photographer from an unknown village with the entire world. In the end, Zaharia may very well receive the recognition he so well deserved for his captivating photographs.
