Focus on Sweden’s kindness
Photographer captures embracing of refugees
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been heavily felt around the world including in Sweden where Paraparaumu Beach photographer Joanna Piatek is staying.
Joanna has been in Stockholm, her city of birth, since November because of a family crisis.
She is watching as thousands of Ukrainian refugees are being embraced by Sweden.
Joanna has been documenting the situation and is preparing an exhibition for when she’s back on the coast to help generate more aid.
“I want to portray the feeling of love and care, fear and helplessness, and the acceptance of fear among everyday people.”
She said when the Russian invasion of Ukraine got under way there was a sense in Sweden, which isn’t part of Nato, that it was a bit too close for comfort, worry over what was going to happen next, and how prepared was the country if it was drawn into battle.
There are centuries of history describing the rivalry between Russia and Russia’s upper north boundaries to Finland and Sweden.
Russia and Putin are to Swedes today what Peter the Great was in the early 1700s — in a time when the fear of Russia “Russophopia” emerged, she said.
“Swedish people, like many others, of course, have definitely been a little on edge.”
Sweden was no stranger to helping those in need, she said, citing the country opening its arms to 163,000 refugees in 2015 who applied for asylum. And now, with the Ukraine conflict, she estimates about 20,000 people had made it safely to Sweden so far with an estimated 80,000 arriving before summer.
She said a few kilometres from where she is living, in the small port town of Nyna¨shamn, there is a daily ferry link to and from Gdansk in Poland.
“A few hundred women and children, about 4000 daily to Sweden, arrive from Ukraine on this ferry every day.
“The first thing they get after clearing Customs is a hot coffee and a sandwich and fruit followed by eager gifting of prams, toys, diapers, sanitary products and internet Sim cards from well-meaning local charities and companies.
“Their first destination spot after that is the immigration office.
“People open up their homes and communities are being asked by the government to provide housing.
“The Ukrainian people are funnelled into society; some already have family here.
“They receive free hospital care and the children will go to school.
“The local commuter system in Stockholm has posters up saying if you have a Ukrainian passport or ID you can travel free.”
And the Swedish government, for the first time in many years, was spending heavily on its own military defence.
“They are recruiting and dusting off a massive 65,000 bomb shelters throughout the nation.
“Swedes are being asked to be prepared, to check their nearest shelter, to look out to sea for foreign submarines or objects, and talk to their children about fear.
“Camping stoves had sold out and iodine pills were as hot as loo paper during Covid.”
Swedish television shows and concerts were busy fundraising.
“With a push of a button on our mobile phones money is given.
“Some were also packing cars and trailers with supplies including medicine, battery chargers, nappies and more, before driving east, and ‘catching the ferry to Poland’.”
She said the invasion had made her reread the history of the key countries involved.
“It has made me angry, frustrated, and frightened.
“My thoughts are simply in turmoil for these poor people [from Ukraine], especially the children.”
Joanna, like most people around the world, wants to see one thing.
“I want an end to this invasion of Ukraine.”