Vidin-Progresul

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Vidin-Progresul is a neighborhood in Brăila, Romania, in the northeast part of the city between Calea Galați (east) and Izlaz (south). It was rebuilt in the 1970s, with old houses torn down and new apartment blocks built. Most new residents came from working at the Progresul factory (now Promex). A part of the old neighborhood still exists near the main road Calea Galați. Many residents are longtime locals, while many newcomers are peasants trained for industrial work. They originally commuted from villages to Brăila, but moved here after the new housing was finished. The major employer was Progresul, which once had about 13,000 workers. The area grew during the communist era with new homes, jobs, and tram lines, but declined in the 1990s when Progresul nearly closed and thousands lost work. After 2004 conditions improved: a supermarket opened, a small church was built, banks opened branches, and Progresul was split and sold, creating some new jobs. Some people say Vidin-Progresul is actually two neighborhoods: Vidin and Progresul.