This is a photography project "In the direction of safety". I started a series of photos on the day when the war was beginning. It was such an unexpected and shocking fact for me that I could not believe it. War in Ukraine, in the center of Europe in the 21st century?! When I feel bad, I always start taking pictures. I decided that I would keep a photo diary. My story covers the period from the beginning of the war to the moment of crossing the border between Ukraine and Poland (from 24.02.22-08.03.22). When the war began, I was with my mother in the town near Kharkov. On February 25, 2022, my sister moved to us from Kharkov with her family and pets. Explosions and flying planes were constantly heard. We were very scared. My sister's husband decided that he would take us to the western border and we would go to Wroclaw to my friends. We set off to the sound of bombs. Our group consisted of 8 people: me, my sister with her family, my sister's husband's sister with two children and a pregnant woman, my sister's colleague from work.
The project consists of photographs and a collage of phrases. These are text messages that I received in those days. The texts translated are written in Polish, because upon arrival in Wroclaw, I wanted to tell my story there, in Poland. My story is not to say that it was hard for us and we need to be sorry, this story is about how it was. This story is simply mine. Someone else will tell their story.
Comments and some explanations for the photos:
Photo#1. This photo shows containers with a huge amount of water. This is what happens when there is a war. My aunt from Tajikistan called and said that we need to get a lot of water, that there may not be water or it will not be possible to drink it.
Photo#2. Only one channel worked at home – the news channel. The news was interrupted when there were air raids on Kyiv.
Photo#3. As soon as explosions were heard, we ran into the basement, sometimes without having time to finish breakfast.
Photo#4. This photo is of my sister. She and her family fled from Kharkov to us, dressed in what they were, only taking a cat and a hamster.
Photo#5. My sister's son and I started painting to take our minds off the war. Timur is 9 years old and he only painted war.
Photo#6. We decided to leave the country. Mom stays at home…
Photo#7. Even in difficult times, we believe in victory.
Photo#8. It was quiet that morning. Mom went to the market, stood in a long queue for milk. My sister is making pancakes for her son.
Photo#9. In the evening, when the bombardment began heavily and we hid in the cellar, a million messages came in asking "How are you?" We made a roll call, wrote to all friends and relatives and waited with hope for an answer that they were alive.
Photo#10. Terrible dark time – curfew.
Photo#11. There was no adhesive tape at home, and we sealed the windows with whatever was at hand.
Photo#12. We did not ignore reports of air raids, we always ran to hide in the cellar: at night, at dawn, whenever. Everyone grabbed their collected bag and ran out. It is very cold and damp in the cellar, and my mother keeps vegetables there, cooked from autumn to winter.
Photo#13. Road… I often flew from Kharkov to Wroclaw to study and it took two and a half hours. We traveled for 6 days!!! The navigator did not work properly, we often drove the wrong way. It was possible to move only when there was no curfew. There were crazy traffic jams everywhere.
Photo#14. Since we were traveling with children and a pregnant woman, we tried not to spend the night in the open. We met so many kind and helpful people who gave us shelter and food.
Photo#15. This apartment was calm and peaceful. It seemed that there was no war here. But only until the sirens sounded. We were already so far from Kharkov, but the sirens overtook us here too.
Photo#16. Timur lost a tooth. He thought the tooth fairy wouldn't find him this far from home… But she found
Photo#17. There is still quite a bit and we will be at the border. It was a very difficult and controversial decision to leave my country. But I accepted it. It was scary to leave, but it was scarier to stay at home.