On the streets of Lviv, Ukraine’s refuge in war
Forty days after Russia’s invasion began, I decided to see Ukraine’s defiant resistance for myself.
I shelved all duties with my editors in North Carolina and arrived in Warsaw, Poland – a city rebuilt after its own brutal attack by a regional powerhouse more than eight decades ago. Symbols of Poland’s support of its eastern neighbor were seen everywhere: Blue and yellow flags lined New World Street, one of the city’s most historic thoroughfares; anti-war messages were written on windows and mirrors in businesses throughout Old Town; yellow posters depicted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s face as part of the old Nazi skull-and-crossbones symbol, between the words, “Achtung (Danger) Russia!”
A painting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is displayed by a street merchant in Old Town, Warsaw, Poland. (April 8, 2022)
In front of the 15th century St. Anne's Church in Warsaw, Poland, the flag of Ukraine flies beside that of its neighbor to the west. Poland has received more than 2.5 million refugees since the Russian invasion began in late February. (April 8, 2022)
An illustration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with photos and artifacts depicting the war in Ukraine, adorn the country's embassy in Warsaw. (April 12, 2022)
An anti-war message is written on a mirror in a restaurant in Warsaw, Poland. (April 12, 2022)
Volunteers clad in yellow vests assist Ukrainian refugees at a train station in the Polish border town of Przemyśl, April 13. More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the Russian invasion began on February 26, even as the government in Warsaw is building a 116-mile steel wall along the border of the two countries.
Passengers at the central train station in Lviv disembark from a train arriving from the Polish border town of Przemyśl just before midnight on April 14. Ukraine's border force said on Wednesday more than 870,000 Ukrainians have returned to the country after fleeing abroad after the start of the Russian invasion. (April 14, 2022)
Passengers at the central train station in Lviv disembark from a train arriving from the Polish border town of Przemyśl just before midnight on April 14, 2022. Ukraine's border force said on Wednesday more than 870,000 Ukrainians have returned to the country after fleeing abroad after the start of the Russian invasion. (April 14, 2022)
Across from the city hall building in Lviv, western Ukraine, a sign reads "Violinist of the Sinner" above a depiction of Russian President Vladamir Putin. (April 15, 2022)
Life in Lviv, a city often dubbed the cultural capital of Ukraine, is slowly returning to normal after it was attacked by rockets in late March. Soon after Russia's invasion began in late February, the city became a refuge for Ukrainians fleeing the war from the east. (April 15, 2022)
A man walks by a poster that reads "We are Ukraine" near the Lviv National Art Gallery. (April 15, 2022)
A woman selling balloons on Freedom Avenue talks to a young boy. The tree-lined avenue leads to the Lviv National Opera, and is the centerpiece of the city’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
An illustration depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin cutting a Z-shaped wound into his stomach, with troops colored in red spilling out of it. The letter has been painted on Russian military vehicles during its recent invasion of Ukraine. In early March the Russian Ministry of Defense said it stood "for victory."
A man and his dog, a husky named Gracie, at Ivan Franko Park in Lviv. (April 15, 2022)
A view of Lviv’s Old Town district. (April 15, 2022)
