There are the pensioner and the nurse, the postman and the former municipal employee. The six hundred souls of Dorohusk, the last village before the border between Poland and Ukraine, are much more than a community. They are the first point of arrival of those fleeing the war, the first smile against the bombs, the first hug after the tragedy. And so for a month now the whole village has been busy, making its own professionalism or time available. And those who just couldn’t have opened the doors of their homes to host Ukrainian refugees.
The operational center is the one that until a month ago, before Russia began the invasion of Ukraine, housed the city cultural center. A large white farmhouse immersed in the green countryside surrounding the area. Several gazebos have been set up in the external square, also with the help of the local Caritas. There are basic necessities and meals for everyone. Sitting on the benches, in a rare moment of pause, a nurse chats with the policemen who guard the area, while two girls continue to sort the names of the guests, extricating themselves from the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet. Everyone in Dorohusk knows each other, they are friends or relatives, and from day one they had no hesitation in being ready for the impending wave of refugees.
Just the cultural center, in the first days of the war, also hosted government exponents, who arrived there to thank the village, where the flow of buses and cars with Ukrainian refugees continues. Unlike other borders, in fact, in Dorohusk there is only one motorway access, where vehicles are checked and then let through by the border guards. “Now the situation is slightly different than a few weeks ago, the influx of people has decreased – says the director of the cultural center, Renata Lalik – even though many people continue to arrive”.
A canteen has been set up inside the hall that once hosted cultural events, while in the hall there is the sleeping area, with a dozen camp beds to accommodate refugees for at least a couple of days. Tatiana is 44 years old and comes from Kiev. With her there is her mother Stefania and their dog. “We are half Jewish and we are trying to reach Israel – says the woman, while she tries to calm the noisy Chihuahua -. My two daughters are there. One of them, the eldest, has just joined the army” . She then takes her cell phone, scrolls through the photos and proudly displays pictures of a 19-year-old in uniform. “I’m very proud of her,” she confesses as she kisses the smartphone screen.
In a small wooden house outside the building, set up by a telephone company, a couple of boys receive a sim card, like those that are distributed in practically all the reception centers in Poland.
They give thanks and go off to have a bite to eat in the mess hall. In the red gazebos, two very young volunteers put the last packages in order and say goodbye. Always with a smile on his face.
“Basically we have done nothing so strange – the comment of the mayor, Wojtek Sawa -. We have done what a border city does best, welcome”.
Source: Ansa
I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years now and I have worked for some of the biggest news websites in the world. My focus has always been on entertainment news, but I also cover a range of other topics. I am currently an author at Global happenings and I love writing about all things pop-culture related.
