Postcards of war

The Postcards of war exhibition is a powerful showcase of volunteerism, mutual support, solidarity, and hope for a better future amidst the challenges of war.

A Mission of Support and Safe Passage

In Przemysl, I was also a volunteer coordinator in the international volunteer project Rubikus.helpUA, which focused on providing legal assistance, organizing safe travel routes, finding housing and transportation options, and offering continuous support to refugees from Ukraine. Generally through word of mouth, Ukrainians wanting to leave their country, would hear about Rubikus.helpUA and get in touch with them. They would submit their request on the website Rubikus, providing details on how many they were, in wich part of Ukraine they lived and which country they wanted to move to. 

Each request would be assigned a unique number and would become a case. I managed a total of 723 cases, 549 of which were successfully completed, amounting to a total of 1,430 individuals. My responsibilities included: providing advice on documents, assisting with the selection of a destination country, developing a safe travel plan that took into account the unique needs of the family, finding available accommodation and tickets, coordinating the entire journey (as many people were leaving Ukraine for the first time), and offering advice. 

The Power of a Global Volunteer Network

Postcards of war, an exhibition on pashtouki.com, is a reflection of something much bigger. An incredible network of volunteers from all over the world who made this possible. I couldn’t have helped so many people on my own. It was a well-organized team effort, with each volunteer playing a vital role. Some volunteers handled applications and processed them, while others, based in different countries, provided up-to-date information about regions in Europe and other parts of the world. Their local knowledge was crucial to make safe and informed decisions.

We also had a team working behind the scenes, compiling all this information into one comprehensive database. Another group of volunteers managed the donations and collections, which allowed others to step in and buy tickets or arrange accommodations when needed. It was this collaboration that ensured everything ran smoothly. The strength of this effort lies in teamwork, and I’m forever grateful to each volunteer who gave their time, energy, and resources to help others. Without them, none of this would have been possible. If you’d like to stay connected, join our team, visit Rubikus’ website. 

Each postcard tells the story of a real person who left their home, family, and friends, with only the expectations of a new life and the hope for something better ahead. The exhibition consists of 84 postcards along with translation. It has been divided into 4 parts to avoid overloading one page. If you’d like to see all the postcards at once or prefer scrolling through an Instagram-like feed, you can select the link at the end of this page.

To enlarge the images, simply click on them.