I arrived in Poland March 21, at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport. My intent –my hope – in coming here is help however I can with the refugee situation here. Why? Well, my parents were refugees from Poland after the Second World War and were helped by kind-hearted people to get to the United States and get started in their new life (with 1-year-old me in tow!). They were grateful to the end of their days.
I also served in Kiev as a military attaché for 2 1/2 years and grew to love the country and its people. Finally, it is hard for me (as for many of you) to comprehend that such devastation can be occurring today. I simply felt moved to come. I speak Polish and Russian (and some English!) and thought understanding is no problem.
From the moment of setting foot in Warsaw, it has been impossible not to be aware of how welcoming the Polish people have been. Messages advising Ukrainians where they could find help regularly came across the loudspeakers. At the check-in area there was a special site where volunteers (here an Italian Caritas organization) assisted mainly woman and children. Other volunteers roamed around looking for anyone who seemed lost. The first thing I saw as I walked into the airport hotel was a sign with an Ukrainian flag and the words in Polish, “Solidarity with Ukraine.” Waiting at the elevator, I got into a conversation with a man who told me he had “come to help.” I got a huge hug when I said that was my hope, too. He was born in Kiev lived now in the United States. His mom was already in the United States and he was hoping to get his dad a visa. His parting words were, “We have to hang on to hope.”
The next day, as I waited in the hotel lobby before catching a taxi to the rail station, a woman asked to sit by me and we started a conversation in Russian. She was from Kiev and on her way to Canada to be with her daughter. She was one of the “fortunate” ones who had a place to go after having left behind all her friends and whatever she did not have in her suitcase and assortment of bags. When I told her I had to go catch a cab, she was aghast. “What? It costs way too much!” she said. “Take the commuter train. They will help you at the desk.” Her insistence persuaded me, and I was guided to the station entrance and found the train waiting. I enjoyed the ride and saved about $10! What struck me was her concern for someone else despite her own troubles.
At Warsaw’s West Train Station, Ukrainians, volunteers in yellow-green vests and signs on where to get help or how to avoid scams were everywhere, along with an area serving food. Ukrainians were escorted to the proper track for their further journeys. Every train I saw coming in had both Polish and Ukrainian flags waving from the engine. (Earlier that morning, the Polish news channel I tuned into had their entire set decorated in Ukrainian colors!) I imagine similar scenes are to be found at all transportation hubs.
Many of the images on news channels are tragic, but stories of resilience and hope and compassion also abound. Here almost every day there are announcements of government programs introduced to ease the way for Ukrainians, simplifying hiring, allowing cashing of Ukrainian currency (hrynia) for Polish (zloty) in banks, just to name a few. Every person has their story, which is worth listening to. I have spent the last few days in the small town of Kaniwola, about a half-hour south of Lublin, I will try to capture the stories I found there in the next installment.
Ilona Kwiecien Is a Jaffrey resident whose parents were Polish refugees after World War II. Her last Army assignment before retiring in 1998 was as Army attaché in Kiev for 2 1/2 years.