Gregor Fischer: When I think about Ukraine…

“When I think about Ukraine, this picture comes to mind: I took it a few days ago at the square in front of the Lwiw central train station. In the midst of a mass of people, a woman holds her child in her arms, waiting to get a seat on a train to Poland. The air smells of diesel and wood that's burning in a barrel to produce a bit of warmth for those who are waiting. Even though the woman and her child are fleeing from war, a feeling of calm and thoughtfulness prevails in front of the station and on the platforms. I am continuously asked when and where the train is departing, but I can't help. The feeling that as soon as one train loaded with hundreds asylum-seekers leaves the station, the buildings and platforms are quickly crowded with hundreds and thousands more escaping the horrors of war, is oppressing. Soldiers and members of free militias search for Russian spies amid the mass of people waiting to leave. As a photographer, you are constantly seen as a threat. A few seconds after photographing this scene, I was approached by a security guard.”

Text and image: © Gregor Fischer