Przemysl, Poland: A Respite for Refugees
Marshall S. Swanson 
PRZEMYSL, POLAND - In 1933, 3 million Ukrainians died in a famine designed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Over the next decade, nearly five million more were murdered by nazis, prompting a mass exodus to a century old train station in Przemysl, Poland.
Prsemysl has become as a respite for refugees fleeing Vladimir Putin’s wrath. Thousands of displaced families from eastern and central Ukraine continue to pour into Poland and her neighbors each hour, breathing a sigh of relief to be out of harm’s way.
But this bittersweet moment also comes with unthinkable grief, as many refugees — shell shocked by artillery fire and war — begin to grapple with the loss of their homes, their towns, and even their loved ones.
Scores and scores of Ukrainians now call Poland their home away from home, but not everyone chooses to leave. Their arduous exodus across the country often takes place without fathers, brothers or sons— millions of whom perilously remain to fight the Russian invasion.
Despite this sobering fact, for the families en route to Poland, Przemysl has once again become a symbol of hope for the free world during a time of tragedy.
