An exhibition entitled "Freeze. Lives of Children at the Frontline" may be seen at plac Solidarności. It is dedicated to the Russian aggression on Ukraine which began in 2014.
The exposition has been prepared by the Union of Ukrainians in Poland, Branch Szczecin, with the support of the Szczecin City Office. It is closed by an exhibition board reminding: "The war is going on".
The outstanding photographs were taken in 2019 in the areas destroyed during the first stahe of Russian aggression by Andriy Dubczak, a reporter of Radio Svoboda. They are depressing pictures of destroyed houses, lost property and family mementos as well as damaged landscape. Most of all, they are movng images of children and of war seen from their perspective.
The title "Freeze" illustrates the state in which they found themselves after months of threat, having lost their nearest ones and devoid of all that created their world and used to make them feel safe. "Freeze" is a psychological term for a state related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be observed as lack of emotional expression. Unrevealed fear, anger, helplesness or continuous feeling of threat may be devastating to the mind and leave a trace for the rest of one's life.
According to the estimation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the total number of killed and wounded in result of the Russian aggression on Ukraine 2014-2021 amounted to 42-44 thousand people. The next stage of the Russian aggression began on February 24th 2022.
The exhibition will be available at plac Solidarności for several weeks.