2015.3.6
Pavel P
Abandoned Buildings (Gypsy Ghetto), photograph
"August 2013, Ostrava, Czech Republic
So I finished my work and had a spare afternoon. I went to explore the city. When I was driving my car across the bridge in the periphery of the city, I saw some ruined buildings for a quick glance. I turned of the highway at the first turnout and found what I didn't know about. An area of demolished and abandoned buildings. Nine houses or so. Completely ruined. Sad and disturbing place. Surrounded by roads, railway station and industrial area. I climbed up the highway embankment to get higher point of view. While I was up there, a police car drove through right below me. I was already thinking up stories to explain them what was doing up there. They didn't see me or they didn't care... I took this shot from up there.
Later on, I was back in between the ruins when I run into the gypsy woman with her three kids.
Woman: Are you photographing how gypsies ruined the buildings?
Me: I don't know a background of this place. I was just passing by and ruined houses grabbed my attention.
Woman: Gypsies did that! I Also lived here. Now I wanted to show it to my kids. They wanted to see it.
Me: I didn't know that. Really?!
Woman: Yes. Look here (she pointed to the hole in the wall). We had a nice and tidy basement right here.
Me: Hm...
Woman: I am personally ashamed for what gypsies did here. We finally received an apartment from the city, so we moved from here.
And then they left.
And then I was googling at home eager to get some info about the place. Last 20 families left the area this spring. Just couple months ago. And to my biggest surprise! I found a video interview from this year, where same woman I talked to was interview by a journalists...when she was interviewed she still lived in the ghetto and was waiting for a new apartment from the city."
So I finished my work and had a spare afternoon. I went to explore the city. When I was driving my car across the bridge in the periphery of the city, I saw some ruined buildings for a quick glance. I turned of the highway at the first turnout and found what I didn't know about. An area of demolished and abandoned buildings. Nine houses or so. Completely ruined. Sad and disturbing place. Surrounded by roads, railway station and industrial area. I climbed up the highway embankment to get higher point of view. While I was up there, a police car drove through right below me. I was already thinking up stories to explain them what was doing up there. They didn't see me or they didn't care... I took this shot from up there.
Later on, I was back in between the ruins when I run into the gypsy woman with her three kids.
Woman: Are you photographing how gypsies ruined the buildings?
Me: I don't know a background of this place. I was just passing by and ruined houses grabbed my attention.
Woman: Gypsies did that! I Also lived here. Now I wanted to show it to my kids. They wanted to see it.
Me: I didn't know that. Really?!
Woman: Yes. Look here (she pointed to the hole in the wall). We had a nice and tidy basement right here.
Me: Hm...
Woman: I am personally ashamed for what gypsies did here. We finally received an apartment from the city, so we moved from here.
And then they left.
And then I was googling at home eager to get some info about the place. Last 20 families left the area this spring. Just couple months ago. And to my biggest surprise! I found a video interview from this year, where same woman I talked to was interview by a journalists...when she was interviewed she still lived in the ghetto and was waiting for a new apartment from the city."