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My 18 Photographs Showing The Reality Of Ukrainian Children And Women Who Have Escaped From War To Poland
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I started to portray women who escaped to Poland before the war. The portraits show Ukrainian women whose husbands, fathers, sons, or brothers stayed in Ukraine to fight for their country and who were forced to leave their homeland because of the war. They escaped from the war, usually taking small luggage with them and hoping that they would be able to return home as soon as possible. After coming to Poland, they found refuge in Polish homes, and millions of Poles help them feel safe again. The photos were taken in the houses where they stayed.
On February 24, 2022, the war in Ukraine began. By March 13, 2022, the Polish border was crossed by 1,650,000 Ukrainian residents fleeing the war. They are mainly women and children as men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country.
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Tetiana, Age 35, Alisa, Age 7, Lutsk
This one is absolutely heartbreaking. No family should ever have to see the horrors of war and having their entire lives uprooted. I pray for the safety of her husband and for Tetiana and her little girl.
I decided to show these women because I felt such an inner need to show what these people are living through. War is an evil that should be avoided and these women are its victims. Each of them can be your mother, sister, or daughter. I did not want to show them at the border because a lot of such photos were taken already.
Photos where they fled feeling scared and in cold jackets, carrying only their luggage. I wanted to photograph them in the houses where they stayed. There they could rest after the long journey and finally feel safe, forget a little about the war. That is why a smile appears in the photos, because they had the knowledge that at the place where they are, nothing bad will happen to them.
Vira, Age 26, Wiktoria, Age 6, Weronika, Age 6, Lviv
These are all so heartbreaking. This one really got to me. Perhaps it was the moment of peace between a mother and her little girls while war rages on or realizing just how truly young these children are.
Many of them, while escaping, took with them a small suitcase and a few bags with necessary things (and small sentimental things that were unnecessary). Some of the women walked to the border. Some women were brought to the border by their husbands who then returned home.
I would like everyone to see their relatives in these portraits and these women. Maybe it will give us food for thought and force us to help more.
Svetlana, Age 36, Shlapan
This one is extremely heartbreaking. That suitcase most likely represents what's left of her worldly possessions.
Yana, Age 14, Katerina, Age 36, Lviv
The biggest challenge for me, was reaching these people. Even though I live in Warsaw, most of the photos were taken outside Warsaw. In smaller towns where people know each other better and are not anonymous. I did not want to do this in "camps". Thanks to my friends and acquaintances who helped me reach these people.
As a photographer, I would like to show the world as it is. For 20 years I had been working as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. I'm interested in people.
Jarina, Age 3, Ivanofrankovsk
Myroslava, Age 25, Fastiv
It must be SUCH a happy relief to be somewhere that you're not dodging mortar fire, and that it's quiet.
Sofia, Age 6, Tarnopol
Olga, Age 40, Kyiv
Daria, Age 10, Iryna, Age 23, Berdichev
Lena, Age 25, Farunku
Julia, Age 27, Tarnopol
Bogdanka, Age 33, Lviv
Just to bury a couple of comments that have nothing to do here and I'm even gonna vote for myself to make sure
President Zalinskyy just released a piece that shows all that has happened and what has been lost. What Ukrainians are saying now. "This WAS my home. This WAS my job. This WAS my dog. This WAS my father." Each with several heartbreaking pictures to go with it. These people were simply living their lives and suddenly they are pitched into hell and have lost everything. What will they have to go back to? But then he talks about who Ukraine will be again because of the resiliency of it's people. When this is over I hope the world flocks to Ukraine to rebuild and invest in a wonderful country with amazing people.
Just to bury a couple of comments that have nothing to do here and I'm even gonna vote for myself to make sure
President Zalinskyy just released a piece that shows all that has happened and what has been lost. What Ukrainians are saying now. "This WAS my home. This WAS my job. This WAS my dog. This WAS my father." Each with several heartbreaking pictures to go with it. These people were simply living their lives and suddenly they are pitched into hell and have lost everything. What will they have to go back to? But then he talks about who Ukraine will be again because of the resiliency of it's people. When this is over I hope the world flocks to Ukraine to rebuild and invest in a wonderful country with amazing people.
