According to the orthodox monk and writer Nicolae Steinhardt, "Om în rai"—Romanian for "Men in Heaven"—is an anagram of Romania, symbolizing the deep-rooted connection between the country and its archaic mountain societies. It evokes a vision of paradise not as a biblical construct but as a personal, earthly experience found in the Carpathians, some of the oldest mountains in Europe.


OM ÎN RAI is a series that seeks to reconnect with an ethereal part of ourselves, offering a glimpse into traditional European communities that live in harmony with nature’s cyclical rhythms. In these mountains, ancient cultures and traditions persist—expressed through religious worship, pilgrimage, and ritual. Here, transhumance and pastoralism shape daily life, guided by the ebb and flow of nature’s timing.