Stories of resilience and belonging: New exhibition highlights the lives of refugees and stateless people in Ukraine

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with its NGO partners NEEKA Ukraine, Rokada, Right to Protection and The Tenth of April, as well as the Kyiv History Museum, today launched the photo exhibition “Seen. Heard. Protected. Stories of Refugees and Stateless People Rebuilding Their Lives in Ukraine”. 

The exhibition presents stories of refugees, people who have been forced across borders to seek safety from war, violence and persecution; and stateless people who find themselves without the protection and opportunities that a nationality provides – who have all rebuilt life in Ukraine despite forced displacement, loss, and uncertainty. Through striking portraits and personal narratives, visitors are invited to meet the people beyond their legal status and discover their stories of resilience, belonging, and hope.

For decades, Ukraine has welcomed people fleeing war and persecution and worked to ensure solutions for stateless people, demonstrating solidarity with those who have nowhere else to turn. Today, however, Ukraine's story reflects both sides of displacement. While the country continues to host refugees and asylum-seekers from more than 60 countries, millions of Ukrainians have themselves been forced to seek safety abroad because of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The war has also created new challenges for people at risk of statelessness. Forced displacement, temporary occupation, loss of documents, and disruption of civil registration services have increased the risk of people being left without proof of nationality or access to their rights.

“Behind every portrait is a person with dreams, talents, and aspirations, who has overcome extraordinary challenges to rebuild their life. Their stories remind us that