Iwa, or Ioana, is a 22-year-old girl who has taken Instagram by storm with her nostalgic portrayals of Romanian, and more broadly speaking Balkan, village lifestyle. Her videos, which skillfully make use of the characteristically self-deprecating Romanian humor, earned her almost 80,000 followers at the time of writing.

Ioana Cîmpianu is from the eastern Romanian county of Vaslui. She grew up in the countryside, helping her grandparents during her visits. Passionate about handball, she came to study foreign languages, specifically English and Spanish, in bustling Bucharest. She found a job in a corporation and chose to stay in the capital. At least once a month, however, Ioana travels back to her hometown to visit her grandparents' house. 

On one of these trips back home after university, Ioana decided to share her love for the Romanian countryside and family with others by posting videos. Her story is a familiar one for millions of young Romanians, and her content speaks to them in an obvious and emotional way. “My page represents the life of the Balkans. Although Romania is only 5% Balkan geographically, it is 100% Balkan culturally. I love and am proud of this heritage. And that’s how I got here,” she says. Some of Ioana’s videos have around a million likes, and her takes on classic Balkan and Romanian stereotypes are enjoyed by tens of thousands. 

Your content is rooted in the Romanian village lifestyle, family, doing chores, working the field, and wearing practical clothes. What kind of reactions do you get from people who discover it? 

When people discover my content, they often have a variety of reactions, ranging from nostalgic to curious, to inspired. In my opinion, the feeling of nostalgia is the strongest one. Many people, especially those with rural or Eastern European roots, feel a deep sense of nostalgia. They may remember their own childhood, visits to their grandparents, or a simpler way of life. Those unfamiliar with the Romanian village lifestyle are often intrigued by the details of rural life, or curious about traditions, types of chores, and everyday routines.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Iwa 👩🏻‍🌾 (Ioana) (@iwa_roblkn)

You said at one point that your father was the biggest inspiration for your content and channel. How important is family to you and what do they think of what you do? 

My family is everything to me, and my father has been the biggest inspiration for my content, that's true. He taught me the values of hard work, the beauty of a simple, rural lifestyle, and to love my grandparents to the moon and back. These lessons are the foundation of my content and the message I want to share with my audience. 

My family is proud of the way I represent our culture and traditions to a broader audience. They understand the importance of preserving and sharing our way of life. They see my content as a valuable way to keep our traditions alive and to educate others about the beauty and richness of rural life. My grandma, even though she is 86 years old, always tries to help me and comes up with suggestions on what I should film. She's pretty funny when she does it. The same goes for Dad—they are wonderful.

Many young Romanians relate to what you post, but you chose to do it mostly in English. How come? 

Initially, my page had content exclusively in English. As more young Romanians began to engage with the content, I decided to incorporate posts in Romanian as well. While I have a strong love for my language and enjoy using it in my posts, I believe that English is more appropriate because many young people in Romania speak it anyway. This approach allows the messages in my posts to reach both my international audience and my fellow Romanians at home.

What kind of feelings or ideas would you like to see in those who view your content? 

Through my content, I hope to inspire a sense of nostalgia for simpler times and a desire to appreciate the little things in this modern world. I encourage viewers to embrace the value of family, genuine happiness, community, and the simple pleasures of life. It's hard sometimes to keep ourselves humble and not forget where we came from, especially in big cities—I get that. I sometimes find myself getting lost in the hustle and bustle here, in Bucharest. That's why I want my page to inspire people to be better, simpler, and more humble, while also encouraging them to not take life so seriously.

Finally, what can we find in a box meant for ice cream in a Balkan household?

Such a great question! An ice cream box in a Balkan household is like a mystery box. You never know what you'll get. Most of the time, you will find anything but ice cream. For example, you might find sarmale (cabbage rolls), salată de vinete (eggplant salad), ardei umpluți (stuffed peppers), or who knows what else!

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo: courtesy of Ioana Cîmpianu)