BERLIN.- The Museum of European Cultures in Berlin has opened a powerful new exhibition, Escape. Photographs from Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia by Frank Gaudlitz. Running until March 1, 2026, the show invites visitors into the intimate realities of people who were forced to leave their homes because of war and political repression.

Portraits of Resilience

For more than three years, photographer Frank Gaudlitz traveled through Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia. His camera captured around forty portraits of individuals and families who fled the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Each face carries a story—of bombed cities, destroyed homes, and family separations.

The portraits are accompanied by interviews and direct quotations. These voices, recorded during long conversations, bring depth to the images. Visitors hear stories of trauma and uncertainty, but also of resilience and hope.

Beyond Ukraine: Stories from Russia

What makes Escape unusual is that Gaudlitz did not limit himself to Ukrainian refugees. In Russia itself, many also chose exile. Their reasons were different but no less urgent: fear of political persecution, pressure from the secret service, or the refusal to let children grow up under an authoritarian regime waging war.

Some of these exiles found new beginnings in Tbilisi or Yerevan—cities marked by their own Soviet past, but now places of refuge. Their testimonies broaden the scope of the exhibition, showing that “escape” has many faces and motivations.

From Abstract Numbers to Human Lives

Migration is often discussed in terms of statistics. But Gaudlitz’s portraits insist on the human scale. Together with historian Paulus Adelsgruber and journalist Angelina Davydova, he documented not only images but also stories. Each text alongside the portraits makes the personal visible, connecting headlines about millions displaced with individual biographies that refuse to be reduced to numbers.

“Many people were on the road without shelter, exposed to rain and cold, until volunteers helped them,” reads one of the accounts. “For them, return was impossible—shelling, minefields, and mass graves blocked the way.”

The exhibition brings such testimonies into dialogue with photography, turning the museum space into a place of listening as much as looking.

The Photographer Behind the Lens

Frank Gaudlitz studied artistic photography under Arno Fischer at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig between 1987 and 1991. Since then, he has developed long-term projects, particularly in Russia, Eastern Europe, and South America. His work often explores social upheaval and its effects on everyday lives.

Recognized with numerous awards, Gaudlitz is known for combining documentary precision with an eye for emotional depth. In Escape, his portraits balance dignity and vulnerability, offering viewers an encounter with people rather than anonymous victims.

A Collaborative Effort

The exhibition has been curated by Sofia Botvinnik (MEK), Franziska Schmidt (co-curator), and Andrea Vándor (coordination for Central and Southeastern Europe at MEK). Their vision was to create a space where photography, history, and personal testimony intersect.

To deepen the experience, the museum is offering an extensive program of events. These include artist talks, lectures, and guided tours. Among the guests are musician and activist Yurij Gurzhy, curator Eva Yakubovska, and writer Katja Petrowskaja—voices that will further expand the dialogue around war, migration, and memory.

Publication and Legacy

To accompany the exhibition, a bilingual (German/English) publication has been released: 24022022 | 33 Portraits | Frank Gaudlitz. Alongside the portraits, it features 18 interviews and handwritten entries from the “Book of Wishes.” This volume not only documents the project but also preserves it for readers far beyond Berlin.