PETRILA

How a Romanian mining town that lost its mine fought to turn its remains into a cultural hub. 

In our second and final episode on Ion Barbu and the town of Petrila, we learn how the mine, the town's main employer, was unable to achieve profitability in the new era of capitalism and was closed down for good. Ion had spent 15 years of his life at the mine, and for him and many others it was more than just a place of work. So when the mine's crumbling buildings were in line for demolition, Ion decided to try and save them by using art to revitalise the town.

What happened to the town once the mine closed? Did Ion manage to save the buildings of the former mine? What happened next? Find out in this episode of The Final Curtain.

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Time stamps

[01:23] Why the mine was closed?
[03:07] Meeting another miner: Cenusa Catalin
[09:55] Ion gives us a tour around a gallery in Deva
[11:30] What does the process of closing a mine look like?
[16:26] Ion gives us a tour around the Plumber's Museum
[19:05] The many more museums that Ion wants to open
[20:38] Credits

Further reading / watching

• Ion Barbu // on BeyondCoal.eu

• Photo gallery from our trip to Petrila // on Culture.pl

• Beneath the Surface: The Occult Inspirations of Poland’s Legendary Naive Artist Coal Miners // on Culture.pl

• Author Małgorzata Rejmer on Romania & Albania // interview on Culture.pl

• Planet Petrila: Documentary Feature Trailer // on Youtube

Credits

Written & produced by Monika Proba
Clara Kleininger was our associate producer for this story
Edited by Adam Zulawski & Wojciech Oleksiak
Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak
Hosted by Nitzan Reisner & Adam Zulawski