Gianni. Policeman and martial arts champion, traveler and horse lover. The beautiful and healthy face of the police, my travel companion with whom I will alternate driving one of two vans that left Milan for the Ukrainian - Polish border to bring humanitarian aid and assist refugees traveling to the Italy.
Milan Piazza Repubblica square. Gianni, my travel partner, with whom I will take turns driving one of two vans, collects aid to take to refugee reception centers in Poland on the border with Ukraine Milano Piazza Piazza Repubblica
The border between Austria and the Czech Republic. Humanitarian convoys not exempt from purchasing the Vignette to travel on the motorways. Il confine tra l'austria e la Repubblica Ceca. I convogli umanitari non esentati dall'acquisto della Vignetta per circolare sulle autostrade.
Nicola traveling from Mantua to Krakow with a camper full of other help. There is also pet food. We take everything ourselves so they can go straight to Krakow Nicola in viaggio da Mantova verso Cracovia con un camper pieno di altri aiuti . Cè anche cibo per animali. Prendiamo tutto noi così loro possono andare direttamente a Cracovia
Exchange of humanitarian aid at the Czech border Scambio di aiuti umanitari al confine Ceco
On the roads of the Czech Republic Sulle strade della repubblica Ceca
Una sosta in autostrada . Gianni fa dello stretching per alleviare la stanchezza.
The snowy landscape in the morning in Dębica. The snow is falling. At other times it would have filled me with joy. Not today. Snow will make it more complicated. It will slow down the journey. Il paesaggio innevato la mattina a Dębica . La neve fiocca. In altri momenti mi avrebbe riempito di allegria. Oggi no. La neve renderà tutto più complicato. Rallenterà il viaggio.
Gianni, Fulvio and Martino in the morning snow in Dębica. Gianni, Fulvio e Martino tra la neve della mattina a Dębica .
On the Polish roads in the snow Sulle strade Polacche tra la neve
Father Frank. Traveling to Ukraine with a humanitarian convoy Padre Frank . In viaggio verso l’Ucraina con un convoglio umanitario
A little girl cuddles a puppy in a service area in Poland near the Ukrainian border. The war seems far away but trucks carrying humanitarian aid remind us that she is close. Una bambina coccola un cagnolino in un'area di servizio in Polonia nei pressi del confine con l'ucraina. La guerra sembra lontana ma dei camion con aiuti umanitari ricordano che è vicina.
The signs for the border with Ukraine I cartelli per il confine con l’Ucraina
We leave after a stop. I let Gianni rest and I take the guide. Si riparte dopo una sosta. Lascio riposare Gianni e prendo io la guida.
The signs for the border with Ukraine I cartelli per il confine con l’Ucraina
A Polish border guard helps a Ukrainian refugee. Behind a CNN correspondent Una guarda di Frontiera Polacca aiuta una profuga Ucraina. Dietro un’inviata della CNN .
Il Centro raccolta di aiuti al centro commerciale di Przemysl ________________ The Aid Collection Center at the Przemysl Shopping Center
Volunteers sort the aid that arrives at the Przemysl Refugee Reception Center - Hall n ° 13. _________ Volontari smistano gli aiuti che arrivano al Centro Accoglienza Profughi Przemysl - Hall n° 13.
Andrea and Fulvio with an operator of the Italian Civil Protection ______ Andrea e Fulvio con un operatore della protezione Civile Italiana
Italian civil protection operators coordinate refugees leaving to Italy _______ Operatori della protezione civile Italiana coordinano i profughi in partenza per l’Italia
A child in the parking lot of the refugee reception center in the Przemyśl shopping center Un bambino nel parcheggio del centro accoglienza per i rifugiati del centro commerciale di Przemyśl
Gianni helps a young Ukrainian mother who is looking for a bus with which to go away from the reception center in Przemyśl.
Mobile recharge station at the Przemysl reception center ______ Stazione di ricarica per cellulari presso il centro di accoglienza Przemysl
We unload the aid we brought from Italy to the Przemysl shopping center collection center ____ Scarichiamo gli aiuti che abbiamo portato dall’Italia al Centro raccolta del centro commerciale di Przemysl
Gianni despite being a sportsman is very tired. The journey was long and it's not over yet. ____ Gianni alla guida stravolto dopo ore di viaggio. Pur essendo uno sportivo è molto stanco. Il viaggio è stato lungo e non è ancora finito.
Entrance to the reception center set up in a shopping center in Przemysl Ingresso al centro di accoglienza allestito in un centro commerciale di Przemysl
The Ukrainian refugees that we will take to Italy are heading towards our vans. _____ I profughi Ucraini che porteremo in Italia si avviano verso i nostri furgoni.
Inna and Julia. ____ Inna eJulia
Gianni si è registrato come autista presso il coordinamento degli aiuti umanitari dell’ex centro commerciale di Przemysl
Medika. Polish-Ukrainian border
Medika. Polish-Ukrainian border Medika . Frontiera Polacca- Ucraina
Medika - The Polish-Ukrainian border Medika - Confine con l'Ucraina
Inna and Misha Inna speaks Italian. You attended San Benedetto del Tronto because a friend lives there. You adore Italy and have studied the language. Misha. The son is fourteen. He doesn't speak Italian. He will have to learn it. They come from Kharkov or Charkiv, a city as big as Milan. 1,500,000 inhabitants, the former capital of Ukraine before Kiev, a large industrial center and the second largest city in the country. Today it has been almost totally destroyed by Russian missiles. _____ Inna e Misha Inna parla Italiano. Ha frequentato San Benedetto del Tronto perché un’amica vive lì. Adora l’Italia e ha studiato la lingua. Misha. Il figlio ha quattordici anni. Lui non parla italiano. Dovrà impararlo. Arrivano da Kharkov o Charkiv , una città grande come Milano. 1.500.000 abitanti, ex capitale dell’Ucraina prima di Kiev, grande centro industriale e la seconda città del paese . Oggi è stata quasi totalmente distrutta dai missili russi.
A Border Police guard in Medika Una guardia della Polizia di Frontiera a Medika
Medika. Polish-Ukrainian border Medika . Frontiera Polacca- Ucraina
Hall 13 of the Przemysl reception center ______ La Hall 13 del centro di accoglienza di Przemysl
Ukrainian women on the phone reassure those who have remained in their cities of origin or receive directions to be recovered by friends or relatives _______ Donne Ucraine al telefono rassicurano chi è rimasto nelle città d’origine o ricevono indicazioni per essere recuperate da amici o parenti
Julia and little Andrea. Exhausted but now in Italy. ____ Julia e il piccolo Andrea. Stremati ma ormai in Italia.
Hall 13 of the Przemysl reception center ______ La Hall 13 del centro di accoglienza di Przemysl
Young people waiting at the Przemyśl reception center ____ Dei ragazzi in attesa al centro accoglienza di Przemyśl
Ukrainian refugees waiting to get on a bus that will take them to Italy ____ Rifugiati Ucraini in attesa di salire su un bus che li porterà in Italia
Refugees waiting for a bus to pick them up to go to European destinations. _____ Rifugiati in attesa di un pullman che li recuperi per andare verso le destinazioni europee.
Una rifugiata Ucraina , dietro di lei la frontiera. A Ukrainian refugee, behind her the border.
Volontario della ONG United Sikhs
Ukrainian refugee ____ Rifugiato Ucraino
A woman found a wool sweater among the abandoned boxes full of clothes in the parking lot of the refugee reception center of the Przemyśl shopping center ____ Una donna ha trovato una maglia di lana tra gli scatoloni abbandonati pieni di abiti nel parcheggio del centro accoglienza per i rifugiati del centro commerciale di Przemyśl
The Ukrainian refugees that we will take to Italy are heading towards our vans. _____ I profughi Ucraini che porteremo in Italia si avviano verso i nostri furgoni.
Breakfast In Italy
A volunteer from the NGO Baby Milk Truck offering assistance for mothers with babies. Un volontario della NGO baby Milk Truck che offre assistenza per le mamme con bambini
Volunteer cooks hot meals for those who cross the border Volontaria prepara pasti caldi per chi attraversa il confine
A Polish volunteer. Behind him the border with Ukraine. Un volontario Polacco. Dietro lui la frontiera con l’Ucraina.
Volunteers sort the aid that arrives at the Przemysl shopping center with the various convoys. ___ Volontari smistano gli aiuti che arrivano al centro commerciale di Przemysl con i vari convogli.
A refugee with a little girl reaches a bus to leave the center of Przemysl Una rifugiata con una bambina raggiunge un bus per lasciare il centro di Przemysl
A young Ukraine on the phone to coordinate with those who have to recover it who are waiting for her to continue the journey to Europe far from bombs. Una giovane Ucraina al telefono per coordinarsi con chi deve reuperarla chi l’aspetta per continuare il viaggio verso l'europa lontana dalle bombe.
Volontari offrono un passaggio a chi deve raggiungere la repubblica Ceca
German volunteers waiting to unload aid at the Przemysl shopping center Volontari tedeschi in attesa di scaricare gli aiuti al centro commerciale di Przemysl
Vera. She lived near Kiev. In one of the satellite towns. She accompanied her husband who then went back to take care of the elderly father unable to face the journey. . We will leave her in Verona in the arms of her daughter Elena, wife of an Italian and majoring in international law. ____ Vera. Viveva vicino a Kiev. In una delle cittadine satellite. L’ha accompagnata il marito che è poi tornato indietro per prendersi cura dell’anziano padre non in grado di affrontare il viaggio. . La lasceremo a Verona tra le braccia della figlia Elena, sposa di un Italiano e laureanda in diritto internazionale.
Vera. She lived near Kiev. In one of the satellite towns. She accompanied her husband who then went back to take care of the elderly father unable to face the journey. . We will leave her in Verona in the arms of her daughter Elena, wife of an Italian and majoring in international law. ____ Vera. Viveva vicino a Kiev. In una delle cittadine satellite. L’ha accompagnata il marito che è poi tornato indietro per prendersi cura dell’anziano padre non in grado di affrontare il viaggio. . La lasceremo a Verona tra le braccia della figlia Elena, sposa di un Italiano e laureanda in diritto internazionale.
Misha is still asleep after the long journey that brought him to Italy _____ Misha dorme ancora dopo il lungo viaggio che lo ha portato in Italia
Vera. She lived near Kiev. In one of the satellite towns. She accompanied her husband who then went back to take care of the elderly father unable to face the journey. . We will leave her in Verona in the arms of her daughter Elena, wife of an Italian and majoring in international law. ____ Vera. Viveva vicino a Kiev. In una delle cittadine satellite. L’ha accompagnata il marito che è poi tornato indietro per prendersi cura dell’anziano padre non in grado di affrontare il viaggio. . La lasceremo a Verona tra le braccia della figlia Elena, sposa di un Italiano e laureanda in diritto internazionale.
Una sosta in Autostrada. ____ A stop on the motorway
Una sosta in Autostrada. ____ A stop on the motorway
Lyibov è distrutta dal lungo viaggio. _____ Lyubov is devastated by the long journey
Lyibov, Julia e il piccolo Andrea in viaggio verso le loro destinazioni in Italia. ___ Lyubov, Julia and little Andrea on their way to their destinations in Italy.
Verona. Appointment at the square of the Porta Nuova station. Vera finally meets her daughter Elena ___ Verona. Appuntamento al Piazzale della stazione di Porta Nuova. Vera finalmente incontra la figlia Elena.
Verona. Forecourt of the Porta Nuova station. Gianni and Vera hugging each other in a moving embrace. Vera doesn't stop thanking us. ______ Verona. Piazzale della stazione di Porta nuova. Gianni e Vera stringendosi in un commovente abbraccio. Vera non smette di ringraziarci.
Verona. Forecourt of the Porta Nuova station. Vera leaves with her daughter. She is waiting for some peace of mind even though her husband is still in Ukraine. ____ Verona. Piazzale della stazione di Porta nuova. Vera si allontana con la figlia. Un po’ di tranquillità la aspetta anche se il marito è ancora in Ucraina.
Varese. Julia and Andrea finally in Italy at the home of Olga, Julia's aunt . Varese. Julia e Andrea finalmente in Italia a casa di Olga, la zia di Julia.
Przemsyl - Milan - From Milan to refugee centers in Poland on the border with Ukraine
carlo Bevilacqua
Photographer Filmmaker Creative Director / Storytelling
based in Milan
Life sometimes knocks on doors in an unexpected way.
Monday 7 /3. 9pm. Meeting point: Piazza Repubblica
There is Gianni, policeman, Martino, who organized the trips, and Fulvio,
a former chemical engineer with a thousand passions.
Many friends have brought medicines, blankets, personal hygiene items, baby food and camping equipment,
10:30 pm. We leave. The night is clear. The kilometers run under the tires of the vans.
Bergamo, Verona, Venice, Udine, Tarvisio.. Here is the first border, Austria ...
It's 4am on Tuesday.
Slowly the lights reveal the landscapes of Tyrol.
We stop in Graz.
The fatigue of the almost sleepless night overwhelms me.
I wake up just before the Czech border. Many other vans and campers are crossing the Polish border to bring aid to Ukrainian refugees.
We are about halfway. In about seven hours we should arrive at the border between Poland and Ukraine.
An accident stops us for a couple of hours. A truck overturned.
We stop for the night in Dębica no far to our destination.
Wednesday 9 March. 6 am. The snow is falling. It will slow down the journey.
A quick breakfast and off we go. On the road various convoys with aid for the Ukrainian populations.
In a service area, a mini van of a humanitarian mission with a priest, Father Frank. He lived in Italy. He comes from Slesia. Their destination is in Ukrainian territory.
A little dog asks a little girl to cuddle.
In Medika, the flow of Ukrainians crossing the border is continuous. Mostly women and children. Polish soldiers help those fleeing the drama of war. The solidarity of volunteers and NGOs from various parts of the world, who assist those fleeing the war, is impressive.
There are those who traveled by bus, those who arrived by car thanks to family members, but also those who faced kilometers on foot, in the cold.
But not everyone has who can welcome them in Poland and they continue helped by NGOs, Polish civil protection or private individuals.
Hundreds of refugees are accommodated in a former shopping center .
On the entrance the DRIVER REGISTRATION .
Even the Italian civil protection has done its part.
Hundreds of beds have been placed in Hall No.13. The Italian volunteers manage, the transfers of refugees in Italy.
While we are waiting for our turn to unload the they calls us to warn that they have made up two groups of refugees.
There is Julia, 19, with her little child Andreji of a few months.
There is Lyibov, by Cernigov
Inna and Misha
Inna speaks Italian. She adore Italy and have studied the language. Misha, her son is fourteen, he will have to learn it.
Vera. From Kiev. She was accompanied by her husband who then went back to take care of the elderly father.
After the checks we leave. The journey will be long. We will have to face another night of travel.
But this time to get to a safe place in Italy.
Monday 7 /3. 9pm. Meeting point: Piazza Repubblica
There is Gianni, policeman, Martino, who organized the trips, and Fulvio,
a former chemical engineer with a thousand passions.
Many friends have brought medicines, blankets, personal hygiene items, baby food and camping equipment,
10:30 pm. We leave. The night is clear. The kilometers run under the tires of the vans.
Bergamo, Verona, Venice, Udine, Tarvisio.. Here is the first border, Austria ...
It's 4am on Tuesday.
Slowly the lights reveal the landscapes of Tyrol.
We stop in Graz.
The fatigue of the almost sleepless night overwhelms me.
I wake up just before the Czech border. Many other vans and campers are crossing the Polish border to bring aid to Ukrainian refugees.
We are about halfway. In about seven hours we should arrive at the border between Poland and Ukraine.
An accident stops us for a couple of hours. A truck overturned.
We stop for the night in Dębica no far to our destination.
Wednesday 9 March. 6 am. The snow is falling. It will slow down the journey.
A quick breakfast and off we go. On the road various convoys with aid for the Ukrainian populations.
In a service area, a mini van of a humanitarian mission with a priest, Father Frank. He lived in Italy. He comes from Slesia. Their destination is in Ukrainian territory.
A little dog asks a little girl to cuddle.
In Medika, the flow of Ukrainians crossing the border is continuous. Mostly women and children. Polish soldiers help those fleeing the drama of war. The solidarity of volunteers and NGOs from various parts of the world, who assist those fleeing the war, is impressive.
There are those who traveled by bus, those who arrived by car thanks to family members, but also those who faced kilometers on foot, in the cold.
But not everyone has who can welcome them in Poland and they continue helped by NGOs, Polish civil protection or private individuals.
Hundreds of refugees are accommodated in a former shopping center .
On the entrance the DRIVER REGISTRATION .
Even the Italian civil protection has done its part.
Hundreds of beds have been placed in Hall No.13. The Italian volunteers manage, the transfers of refugees in Italy.
While we are waiting for our turn to unload the they calls us to warn that they have made up two groups of refugees.
There is Julia, 19, with her little child Andreji of a few months.
There is Lyibov, by Cernigov
Inna and Misha
Inna speaks Italian. She adore Italy and have studied the language. Misha, her son is fourteen, he will have to learn it.
Vera. From Kiev. She was accompanied by her husband who then went back to take care of the elderly father.
After the checks we leave. The journey will be long. We will have to face another night of travel.
But this time to get to a safe place in Italy.
Przemsyl - Milan - From Milan to refugee centers in Poland on the border with Ukraine
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