Sabrina is sitting on the bed in the room where she lives with her parents in Julia and Max’s house, April, 2022
Sabrina is sitting on the bed in the room where she lives with her parents in Julia and Max’s house, April, 2022
Lilia is talking by phone in the garden in Julia's and Max's house. In March Julia and Max hosted three people in their house: Boris, Olga, their daughter Sabrina, the dog Richard. Later arrived their acquaintance from Kiev Svetlana. Then another acquaintance Liliya and the Olga's father Vitaly. Liliya and Vitaly were hosted by the Julia's and Max's neighbors on the street.
Lilia is talking by phone in the garden in Julia's and Max's house. In March Julia and Max hosted three people in their house: Boris, Olga, their daughter Sabrina, the dog Richard. Later arrived their acquaintance from Kiev Svetlana. Then another acquaintance Liliya and the Olga's father Vitaly. Liliya and Vitaly were hosted by the Julia's and Max's neighbors on the street.
Richard, Sabrina’s dog. Sabrina’s family brought Richard with them from Kiev, April, 2022
Richard, Sabrina’s dog. Sabrina’s family brought Richard with them from Kiev, April, 2022
Lilia is talking with other Ukrainians during their charity work in Caritas, April, 2022
Lilia is talking with other Ukrainians during their charity work in Caritas, April, 2022
Lilia and Sveta together with other Ukrainians help to distribute clothes to refugees from Ukraine, Caritas, April, 2022
Lilia and Sveta together with other Ukrainians help to distribute clothes to refugees from Ukraine, Caritas, April, 2022
Svetlana together with other volunteers Caritas rests during the break, April, 2022
Svetlana together with other volunteers Caritas rests during the break, April, 2022
Sabrina talks with neighbors Sylvia in the garden while walking her dog Richard, April, 2022
Sabrina talks with neighbors Sylvia in the garden while walking her dog Richard, April, 2022
Easter eggs, which are painted by Lilia and other volunteers from Ukraine at the week of Ukrainian cuisine in Hamburg, April, 2022
Easter eggs, which are painted by Lilia and other volunteers from Ukraine at the week of Ukrainian cuisine in Hamburg, April, 2022
Lilia and Olga are cooking as a volunteer for a week of Ukrainian cuisine in a restaurant in Hamburg. All money they earn during the day will be sent to support the Ukrainian army, April, 2022
Lilia and Olga are cooking as a volunteer for a week of Ukrainian cuisine in a restaurant in Hamburg. All money they earn during the day will be sent to support the Ukrainian army, April, 2022
Olga is talking to her sister who stayed in Kiev by phone during a break during a week of Ukrainian cuisine in Hamburg, April, 2022
Olga is talking to her sister who stayed in Kiev by phone during a break during a week of Ukrainian cuisine in Hamburg, April, 2022
Julia helps to read the information of the certificate from H&M giving as a gift to Sabrina from people in Germany. Liliya is holding a balloon.
Julia helps to read the information of the certificate from H&M giving as a gift to Sabrina from people in Germany. Liliya is holding a balloon.
Svetlana and her daughter Natasha are helping to tidy up the papers in Max's working room, March, 2022
Svetlana and her daughter Natasha are helping to tidy up the papers in Max's working room, March, 2022
Lilia and Sabrina are having their evening cycling in Hamburg,
Lilia and Sabrina are having their evening cycling in Hamburg,
Olga and Lilya visit their Volkov family friends. After praying for Ukraine, they drink tea, April, 2022
Olga and Lilya visit their Volkov family friends. After praying for Ukraine, they drink tea, April, 2022
Olga is praying with other Ukrainians, April, 2022
Olga is praying with other Ukrainians, April, 2022
Svetlana, Olga and Lilia in the German language courses at the Rahlstedt’s Integration centrum, May, 2022
Svetlana, Olga and Lilia in the German language courses at the Rahlstedt’s Integration centrum, May, 2022
Sabrina stands in the garden. Sabrina stands in the garden, April, 2022
Sabrina stands in the garden. Sabrina stands in the garden, April, 2022
Lilia and Olga return by train to the house of Max and Julia after working on a week of Ukrainian cuisine, April, 2022
Lilia and Olga return by train to the house of Max and Julia after working on a week of Ukrainian cuisine, April, 2022
Svetlana is rehearsing with other members of the choir in Rahlstedt, Hamburg, May, 2022
Svetlana is rehearsing with other members of the choir in Rahlstedt, Hamburg, May, 2022
Svetlana is rehearsing with other members of the choir in Rahlstedt, Hamburg, May, 2022
Svetlana is rehearsing with other members of the choir in Rahlstedt, Hamburg, May, 2022
Sabrina asks permission to go outside with her mother Olga, April, 2022
Sabrina asks permission to go outside with her mother Olga, April, 2022
Olga, Julia, Edita, the mother of her husband Julia Max are stiting in one of the rooms Julia's and Max's house. Julia and Max live in Hamburg. Olga with her daughter, their dog Richard, Svetlana have been living at their home since March till June, April, 2022
Olga, Julia, Edita, the mother of her husband Julia Max are stiting in one of the rooms Julia's and Max's house. Julia and Max live in Hamburg. Olga with her daughter, their dog Richard, Svetlana have been living at their home since March till June, April, 2022
Olga together with her father Vitaly and daughter Sabrina. Olga, Boris and Sabrina moved to another country in autumn 2022, May, 2022
Olga together with her father Vitaly and daughter Sabrina. Olga, Boris and Sabrina moved to another country in autumn 2022, May, 2022

“WE’RE NOT REFUGEES” (2022-ongoing)

This is the story of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their cities and homes after February 24, when Russia started the war in Ukraine. We met at the refugee center in Hamburg in March 2022. Olga and her daughter Sabrina, her friends Lilia and Svetlana tried to learn about the possibility of obtaining social housing in Germany. 

Since March 2022 they live in a German family in one of the region of Hamburg. Before the war has started, each of them had a whole life in Ukraine, family and friends. Olga’s family has a restaurant they just opened. Lilia — charity organization “Tarilka”, which she has organized not so long ago and only just started to get her ideas carry out. Svetlana has a job at a veterinary clinic. Whether they can go back to their country and whether they will have somewhere to return. The war in Ukraine is not over yet, and the reality of life in another country, which people face is not easy.

According to UN statistics on April 20, 2022, five million refugees fled Ukraine. It is the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.