Refugees in Fundão: Far from the Sound of Bombs and Sirens

16 March 2022

Three days before the outbreak of war, Andrey, 38, and Maria, 33, made the difficult decision to leave Kharkiv, the city where they lived, one of the most heavily affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Little did they know that Fundão would soon become their sanctuary.

As tensions escalated with Russia's military deployment, the couple, despite scepticism from friends, grew increasingly fearful of an invasion. When Putin recognised the independence of breakaway Ukrainian regions, they knew they had to seek refuge. They gathered their documents, computers, IT equipment (both worked for international tech companies), clothes, and belongings. They hastily packed a suitcase, and the following day, they headed to Lviv, near the Polish border.

Leaving behind their home of a year, where they had once dreamed of a future, they now hope it remains unscathed, unlike the neighbouring building that had been bombed.