18 Powerful Photographs That Capture The Reality Of Ukrainian Women And Children Who Have Fled The War To Poland

The moving images show women whose family members have stayed behind in Ukraine to fight for their country.

Stephanie

• Published in Interesting
• April 2, 2022

Polish photographer Aleksander Majdański has been documenting Ukrainian women who have fled to Poland since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The moving images show women whose various family members - sons, husbands, brothers, and fathers - have stayed behind in Ukraine to fight for their country.

These incredible women have escaped from the war with little more than the clothing on their backs. They have been welcomed with open arms by the Polish people, with many of them opening their homes as a place of refuge for the women.

Aleksander photographed the women in the houses where they stayed. "I decided to show these women because I felt such an inner need to show what these people are living through," he wrote.

"War is an evil that should be avoided, and these women are its victims," he continued. "Each of them can be your mother, sister, or daughter."

Since the Russian-Ukrainian war began in February, millions of Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries. Most of these are women and children as, sadly, all men aged 18-60 are not permitted to leave the country.

Aleksander says he wanted to show the women in a different light than what has already been shown. "I did not want to show them at the border because a lot of such photos were taken already," he wrote.

"Photos where they fled feeling scared and in cold jackets, carrying only their luggage," he continued. "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."

Aleksander wanted to show the women as real people who could be any one of us. "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," he wrote.

1. Svitlana, Age 26, Kyiv

2. Tetiana, Age 35, Alisa, Age 7, Lutsk

3. Natasza, Age 36, Shlapan

4. Katia, Age 5, Farunku

5. Svetlana, Age 36, Shlapan

6. Vira, Age 26, Wiktoria, Age 6, Weronika, Age 6, Lviv

7. Yana, Age 14, Katerina, Age 36, Lviv

8. Maria, Age 48, Ivanofrankovsk

9. Myroslava, Age 25, Fastiv

10. Jarina, Age 3, Ivanofrankovsk

11. Lida, Age 16, Maria, Age 26, Ivanofrankovsk

12. Sofia, Age 6, Tarnopol

13. Daria, Age 10, Iryna, Age 23, Berdichev

14. Maria, Age 26, Lviv

15. Olga, Age 40, Kyiv

16. Lena, Age 25, Farunku

17. Bogdanka, Age 33, Lviv

18. Julia, Age 27, Tarnopol

The photographer prides himself on "showing the world as it is." He says he has an avid interest in documenting people and their stories.

Aleksander graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan. He worked as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker for more than twenty years.

You can learn more about Aleksander Majdański and see more of his work on his website.

Stephanie