'Now we are like one family': Despite past tensions, Poles open their homes to Ukrainians in wake of war

KRAKOW, Poland – They’ve lived together for only a week and don’t speak the same language, but Marcin Browarski and his new Ukrainian houseguests already joke about who makes better food. 

Space for cooking is tight in the tiny, Soviet-era flat, which Browarski and his 10-year-old son share with three Ukrainian refugees. Cooking is done on a hot plate, and whatever doesn’t fit in the fridge is stored on the chilly patio outside. 

Despite the cozy quarters, refugee Viktoria Zvierievska superbly executed her Ukrainian borscht within days of arriving. The following week, it was Browarski’s turn, with Polish schnitzel on the menu.

“Now we are like one family,” said Browarski, 46, a manager in the steel industry.

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