The flow of refugees has not stopped for weeks on the Polish-Ukrainian border, the invisible line that separates peace and war. More than four million Ukrainians have become refugees since the war started, and over half of them took refuge in Poland. Women, children, and the elderly stand in seemingly endless lines for hours to cross into peaceful Poland. Ukrainian men escort their family to the border and then turn around, returning to the war to secure peace at home.
Saba Gorgodze documented the forced journey of Ukrainians seeking refugee from the city Lviv to Poland.
Most Ukrainians travel to the city of Lviv before crossing into Poland. They have to stand in line for hours to get a seat on a bus heading out of the country.
Some people displaced by the war prefer to stay in shelters in Lviv instead of going to Poland. The Lesya Kurbasa Theater has a shelter where people can spend the night.
A bomb shelter in a park in Lviv, where people seek safety during air raids. Locals built protective barriers around institutions and government buildings in the city.
After Russian soldiers started bombing cities in the country indiscriminately, Lviv City Hall wrapped cultural heritage sites to protect them.
Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. Every day locals pay tribute to the soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.
VOLUNTEERS in POLAND
A few meters across the Polish border, volunteers and aid workers greet Ukrainian refugees. They receive food and basic supplies as well as information on where they can spend the night in Poland or how to travel to other EU countries.
This is a collection point for donated clothing, which will be sent to refugee shelters across the country.
Children were forced to flee without most of their belongings, including clothing. Donated stuffed animals, toys and winter clothing await them in Poland.
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