Oleg and Olena: “This photo hangs on our wall in the most visible place. It's like a window into our home”
Oleg and Olena: “This photo hangs on our wall in the most visible place. It's like a window into our home”
Olena and Oleg stand proudly in their photography studio. They hold one of their most treasured possessions; a photo of the couple with their son Roman, during happier times in Ukraine.
Olena, 59 years-old and and Oleg 64 years-old are refugees from Ukraine. When they arrived in Poland, they immediately started helping other Ukrainian refugees. Today, they run the Human Hub Alter-Native foundation in Piaseczno, a small town near Warsaw. They provide professional and psychological support there and distribute humanitarian aid, including from the UNHCR. After hours, they run a small photography studio where they take wedding photos.
A map showing Oleg and Olena's journey from Kyiv to Warsaw.
Oleg: We didn't take much with us. There was no time to carefully pack our things. Of all the things we managed to fit into our suitcases, this photo is probably the most precious to us. Probably because it reminds us of the good old days and the joy of living in Kyiv.
Olena: It was the summer of 2018, someone took this picture during a wedding somewhere on a boat on the Dnieper River in Kyiv. The handsome guy standing next to us is our son Roman. It was our last photo together because Roman left Ukraine to live abroad [before the full-scale invasion].
Oleg: This photo hangs on our wall in the most visible place. It's like a window into our home.
Olena: Roman called us the day the first rockets fell on Kyiv. I was terrified and could hardly hold back my tears. "Nothing happened, son. We're safe, nothing happened," I told him, but in reality, I could hardly contain my despair.
Oleg: Roman was already studying in Warsaw at that time. He told us to pack immediately and go to the Polish border. So, we set off almost immediately on our journey into the unknown.
Olena: It was a terribly long, tiring and terrifying journey. We never knew where we would end up at the end of the day. We were stuck in traffic jams for miles, we saw sadness and confusion in people's eyes, fatigue and resignation. After three days we managed to reach the border.
Oleg: The Poles accepted us as their own. What a relief it was to finally be in a safe place full of friendly people. That's why almost as soon as we unpacked, we started organizing help for those we ourselves were not so long ago. We organized transportation with humanitarian aid to the border, and to refugee centers.
Olena: We did this because we simply knew how. We had the will, the enthusiasm for work and a car. That's enough for us to act. We continue to help. Our foundation Human Hub Alter-Native is involved in distributing basic things to the most needy, but we also provide psychological and professional support. Because that's just what you do.
Oleg: Hope? I would like to return to Kyiv, because my home is where my door is. Maybe someday.
