Westport photographer captures Ukrainian refugee crisis

Westport photojournalist Alex Carrigg has seen a lot, but that didn't prepare him for the overwhelming crush of humanity that greeted him when he touched down in Warsaw, Poland in early March, rented a car and drove east, to the Polish/Ukrainian border.

Less than a week had passed since Russia invaded Ukraine. But everywhere he traveled along the border — from Chelm to Berdyszcze, Hrebenne and on to Przemyśl — he saw refugees.

The mass exodus of millions of Ukrainians from their war-torn homeland has become the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. As a freelance photojournalist, Carrigg was there to document the unfolding disaster; and as a student of history and photography, he was struck by the faces he saw.

"Witnessing the shell-shocked eyes of the young children crossing the border is something you can only begin to describe," he said. "They've had their lives turned upside down."

Carrigg is a real estate developer in the South Coast, but over the past few years has spent more time photographing political events. He has covered mask, defund the police and other protests across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, dove into the thick of the "Stop the Steal" march on the capital  in Washington, DC last January, and pays close attention to current events.

In February, when it looked like Russia might invade its neighbor to the west, he booked a ticket, grabbed his cameras and protective gear, and left, ultimately spending 10 days in Poland. Much of his time was spent driving from one border crossing to the next, and watching the endless stream of buses, cars, trucks, and those on foot as they left their homeland and entered Poland.

A lot of what he saw was sobering — young and old arriving with little more than a suitcase or two of belongings, and sometimes not even that much. But there were also many scenes of humanity. Border guards played with children, handed out stuffed animals and assisted the elderly, and untold numbers of Poles took in refugees, helped feed them and handed out  clothing and other essentials. Though the language barrier was difficult, and he didn't speak much to those he photographed, the faces told the story.

"You’ve seen this look before, but only in the historic image of another photographer," he said.

Carrigg returned home on March 11, and posted many of his photographs to Facebook, Instagram and his website. He also is sharing them with news outlets in the area. He said:

"The photographs ... are only a small glimpse into a much larger story that can't be covered by a single photographer. Collectively the images from this conflict will create a catalog of the events that took place and hopefully they will be used in time to hold those accountable for this war and for the crimes they have committed."