Together with Jasper Hill, we created the project Eternal February, in which we photographed Ukrainian refugees in front of their temporary accommodations in Bremen.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, more than one million Ukrainians have fled to Germany—approximately 13,000 of them to Bremen. Due to the martial law prohibiting men with Ukrainian citizenship from leaving the country, the majority of those who fled are women—either alone or mothers accompanied by their children.

Many of these families once dreamed of traveling through Europe, tasting Bratwurst, or visiting the Bremen Town Musicians. Now, after nearly a year in exile, their only dream is to return home—to their houses, their friends and neighbors—and to the hope that their husbands and fathers are still alive. Emotionally, many remain in Ukraine: they haven’t quit their jobs, they hesitate to move into permanent apartments, and often choose to stay in hotels—still holding on to the hope of returning home by spring. Their children are enrolled in German schools, but families try not to lose connection to the Ukrainian curriculum.

Whenever possible, they call the father every evening. Still, the mothers carry multiple roles at once—mother, father, teacher, and friend. At the same time, the often-traumatized children offer their mothers just as much emotional support. In the shared accommodations—where people from very different backgrounds are suddenly placed together—strangers quickly become close-knit surrogate families with clearly defined roles and a deep sense of solidarity.