The abandoned sports hall in Burlacu

It seemed like the Soviet union had big plans for the small village of Burlacu. A wine factory and a house of culture had been build. The post office was the size of a palace, but only one small room the size of a living room was being used now. Several places around the village, building projects had been started, but when the Soviet fell, the work stopped. They still stand there, half done.

The most fascinating to me though, was the old, abandoned sports hall. In the the 80s, it was a thriving place with sports events and training going on all the time. One of the locals told me, there had been wrestling competitions and many tough boxing matches. He had played soccer there himself as a kid. When the union fell, the funding ended, and the building was left to fall apart. People of the village took whatever they could use from it. Today, only the ruins are left, of what must have been a magnificent place.

There are no locks on the doors and no glass in the windows. Walking into the entrance hall, it struck me, how beautiful it must have been back then. The walls are white and blue. Most of the paint have fallen off now. First are the locker rooms. So many athletes must have waited in these small rooms, before going into the hall to perform. There are four rooms, two for the home team and two for the away team.

Walking from the locker rooms, a small corridor is going into the hall itself. When I first walked this way, I could imagine how it must have been for the wrestlers, boxers and gymnasts doing the same. Nervous. Anxious. Listening to the sound of the audience inside the hall ahead.

Entering the hall, the first thing one sees is the light coming through the enormous windows on the opposite wall. The light must have filled the room beautifully. Above is the the spectator balcony with people cheering for the athletes. On one wall is written “Raise high the flag of sport” and on the other, the Olympic rings and motto “Faster, higher, stronger”.

So many dreams of young athletes must have been dreamt in this building. Dreams of reaching the top, becoming the best they could. Making their families and country proud. Standing there, was a very special thing to me. Closing my eyes, I could see how it must have looked. It was not hard to imagine the tense atmosphere, before a big game or match.

Today, there is nothing. The silence is stunning. The wind is blowing gently through the big windows, carrying a few snowflakes with it. A tree is growing in one corner. The wooden floor has probably been used for firewood many years ago. There are no more breathtaking seconds of victory and defeat here. No more dreams.