KYIV, Ukraine, 24 June 2026 — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with its NGO partners NEEKA Ukraine, Rokada, Right to Protection and The Tenth of April, as well as the Kyiv History Museum, today launched the photo exhibition “Seen. Heard. Protected. Stories of Refugees and Stateless People Rebuilding Their Lives in Ukraine.”

The exhibition presents stories of refugees — people who have been forced across borders to seek safety from war, violence and persecution — as well as stateless people who find themselves without the protection and opportunities that nationality provides.

Despite forced displacement, loss and uncertainty, all of them have rebuilt their lives in Ukraine. Through striking portraits and personal narratives, visitors are invited to meet the people beyond their legal status and discover their stories of resilience, belonging and hope.

For decades, Ukraine has welcomed people fleeing war and persecution and worked to find solutions for stateless people, demonstrating solidarity with those who have nowhere else to turn for protection and support.

Today, however, Ukraine’s story reflects both sides of displacement. While the country continues to host refugees and asylum-seekers from more than 60 countries, millions of Ukrainians have themselves been forced to seek safety abroad because of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The war has also created new challenges for people at risk of statelessness. Forced displacement, temporary occupation, loss of documents and disruption of civil registration services have increased the risk of people being left without proof of nationality or access to their fundamental rights.

“Behind every portrait is a person with dreams, talents and aspirations, who has overcome extraordinary challenges to rebuild their life. Their stories remind us that refugees and stateless people are not defined by the difficult situation they find themselves in, but by their strength, resilience and contributions to the communities around them,” said Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.

The exhibition features refugees from Afghanistan, Rwanda, Syria and other countries who found safety in Ukraine. Some of them were forced to flee again after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The exhibition also presents the stories of people who have experienced the invisibility of statelessness as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, discrimination faced by minority groups such as Roma communities, and the impacts of war, including displacement, temporary occupation and the loss of personal documents.

The exhibition places these personal stories within a broader global context, highlighting the scale of forced displacement and statelessness around the world.

Today, more than 122 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict, violence and persecution, while millions of others remain stateless.

This year, the international community marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness — landmark agreements that have helped protect millions of people worldwide.

The exhibition provides an opportunity to reflect on their continued relevance and on the importance of ensuring protection, legal identity and a sense of belonging for every person.

The exhibition will be open to the general public from 24 June to 6 July at the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv