An uncertain future for Ukraine's young acrobats and circus artists
It has been nearly a year since the Russia-Ukraine war began and thousands of lives have been lost, many out of fear seek refuge in the bordering states of Ukraine. Amid the bombs and terror of Russia’s invasion, more than 100 young circus performers still hold intensive daily training sessions in Budapest while waiting to see what an uncertain future holds. The group, whose members are between the ages of 5 and 20, found a home with the Capital Circus of Budapest after leaving their circus schools and lives behind in the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv, says an AP report by Justin Spike.
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A young Ukrainian refugee circus student dangles from aerial silks in a training room in Budapest, Hungary, on February 13. More than 100 Ukrainian refugee circus students, between the ages of 5 and 20, found a home with the Capital Circus of Budapest after escaping the embattled cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv amid Russian bombings.(Denes Erdos / AP)
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A group of young Ukrainian refugee circus students seen practicing in a training room in Budapest, Hungary, on February 13. Performers still hold intensive daily training sessions in Budapest while waiting to see what an uncertain future holds.(Denes Erdos / AP)
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A Ukrainian refugee circus student practices juggling in a training room in Budapest, Hungary. Capital Circus of Budapest director Peter Fekete told AP, "If we provide an opportunity to train, and if we set goals that we want to achieve through opportunities to perform, then in their everyday lives they won’t be focused only on the difficult situation they are in, but artistic performance can fill their lives to some degree,”(Denes Erdos / AP)
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A group of young Ukrainian refugee circus students seen stretching in a training room. As Russia tries to ramp up an offensive in Eastern Ukraine and bolster its hold on other parts of the country, it remains unclear when the performers can return safely to their homes.(Denes Erdos / AP)
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