After the annexation of Crimea in 2014 conflict escalated in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Over 1.4 million people were displaced. Kharkiv, a large city relatively close to Donbas, became a popular destination for over 250,000 of those fleeing the conflict. Organizations such as the NGO Stanisya Kharkiv helped people find housing and healthcare, but limited resources and regional prejudices against those coming in and hypothetically stealing jobs, made the transition incredibly difficult for many. Some were even forced to return to the violence in Donbas because they were unable to find housing. Others spent years in grey container block temporary housing units near the city’s airport which were only intended to support a family for a few months.
Now, Kharkiv has endured significant bombing and destruction, becoming a city where people are fleeing from instead of to.