Romanian countryside: the picturesque center of the Middle Ages in Europe today

• The Romanian countryside: the picturesque medieval center in today's Europe

Photographer Alex Robciuc toured many villages scattered across the Southern Carpathians in the historical region of Maramures in Romania, and met with the villagers, who hold the same lifestyle as their ancestors hundreds of years ago.

Men go to a wedding in a village in the historical region of Maramures. This tradition has not changed for about 800 years.

In the Southern Carpathians people earn their living by hard work on the ground.

The inhabitants of remote villages in everyday life wear traditional clothes, which view has not changed in generations.

Southern Carpathians dot more than 100 villages. The villagers live very simply.

The people still use horse-drawn carts. The only sign of civilization - the tire, invented in 1845.

Folk music and dancing - an important part of the culture of the people living in remote areas in the central part of Romania.

All photos were taken in the villages scattered throughout the historical region of Maramures.

In the portraits depict people from different places for their daily activities: work, relaxation, meditation.

"Unlike most people, they do not deal with modern technology, so not used to being photographed," - says the photographer.

"The photos they obtained absolutely natural, because I do not want to look different than they really are."

Commenting on his work, the photographer said: "People with these portraits show how versatile can be a person in its simplicity."

According to the photographer, he wanted to tell about the people who follow the same way of life, that a hundred years ago.

The people who became heroes of these portraits are a way of life, which is irrevocably lost almost all other European citizens.

"When people look at my work, I would like them to keep in mind that these are portraits of individuals who adhere to the same lifestyle that hundreds of years ago."

In December, the photographer visited the distant region of Romania, where people tried to survive the harsh winter.

The woman collects her son to a traditional holiday. The appearance of the national costume has not changed for generations.

The villagers perform heavy physical work, relying only on their own or help in the form of pets. They do not have tractors and other agricultural equipment.

Many things remain surprisingly unchanged, although this boy, for example, there is a modern track suit.