Two years ago today, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, planning to quickly capture the capital of Kyiv. Since that full-scale invasion began, Ukrainians have lived with rocket fire and shelling, power outages and financial struggle. Cities have come under brutal occupation. And the beauty industry has turned basements into hair salons where air-raid sirens blare over blowdryers. Manicures are done under only the glow of headlamps.
Even amidst the horror of war? "It was a shocking revelation for me that women would go to a salon during the war," says Lera Borodina, cofounder of G.Bar, one of Ukraine's largest salon chains. But soon she had a revelation: "We are not only working in the beauty market; we are working in the domain of women’s mental health."
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Go toallure.comnow to see what's happening inside Ukraine's wartime salons and how haircuts and manicures have become acts of resistance in a country’s fight for its existence. You can also listen to audio of the story being read in Ukrainian.
