Translation and additional reporting by Olenka Martynyuk.
Scroll down to listen to Martynyuk read this story in Ukrainian.
Residential buildings in the Solomianskyi district of the capital were hit, including one near ChepizhkosLuChe Beauty Salon.
Courtesy of LuChe Beauty Salon
Chepizhko was back in business the next day.
We started to work behind wooden panels; there was light, heating, and water in the salon.
We have to support each other, says Chepizhko.
The facade of LuChe Beauty Salon with “WE ARE OPEN, BEAUTY SALON” spray-painted across the front.
Our salon gives people a feeling of beauty and of calm for just a bit.
The facade of LuChe Beauty Salon with WE ARE OPEN, BEAUTY SALON spray-painted across the front.
The story of LuChe Beauty Salon is remarkable, but not unique.
A manicurist working at Clipse.
Over the last two years, weve been reminded frequently of the bravery and resourcefulness of Ukrainian civilians.
Its resilient spirit came as a surprise to some.
But not to me.
A hairstylist at 365 Studio prepping for a styling appointment.
A manicurist working at Clipse.
It was such a shock.
No manicure, no dye job made any sense anymore.
The rainbow of nail lacquer colors to choose from at G.Bar.
They were faced with tough questions: Do they reopen?
If so, how?
Does beauty even have a place in a society at war?
A styling session at 365 Studio’s bunker space.
The Difficult Decision to Reopen
The Russians never took control of Kyiv in February 2022.
(The Oscar-nominated documentary20 Days in Mariupolmakes the horrors of the Russian invasion graphically clear.)
For Ukrainians who remained, life was put on hold.
The full manicure-pedicure treatment at Bunny Nails.
Beauty salons closed; washing one’s hair was seen as a luxury.
“I was in high-adrenaline, survival mode.
All you could think of is your safety and the safety of your loved ones.
A residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district after being hit by a missile in March 2022.
A hairstylist at 365 Studio prepping for a styling appointment.
When the full-scale invasion began, we had 250 to 270 people working in Kyiv,” recalls Borodina.
“We had G.Bars all along the front line and we had to make decisions on what to do.
The joy of fresh hair color at Maxim Kulikov’s salon.
In western Ukraine, salons reopened quickly.
The owners understood that its necessary to support the business to save jobs and maintain the economy.
And my manicurist explained that due to the refugee flow, there was no shortage of customers.
The entrance to G.Bar’s underground salon aglow in the night.
In Kyiv and the east of the country, reopening took more time and consideration.
When Kherson was under occupation, it was calm in terms of shelling,” says Borodina.
But somehow, G.Bar survived.
Clients gathered for appointments in G.Bar’s underground space.
A deep sense of patriotism contributed to the decision to reopen salons.
War is a costly thing.
“We had to give a boost to the economy for everything to start moving.
A client getting her hair prepped for a blowout at G.Bar
The rainbow of nail lacquer colors to choose from at G.Bar.
That doesnt mean the decision to reopen was easy.
“I felt responsible for the safety of my team, even though I couldnt personally guarantee it.
A moment of pampering inside LuChe Beauty Salon.
Many salon owners felt a similar sense of duty to their staff.
We had to make a quick decision as the fear and inactivity were making us feel helpless.
We wanted to be useful, and we understood work would help.
Closing hours at LuChe Beauty Salon.
“People did not stop getting manicures.
It seemed to be the only area in their lives they could control.
Support went beyond financial concerns.
People had to do something to not go crazy.
She said that she was tired of sitting in the corridor behind two walls and being scared.
Others were not so surprised.
Ukrainian women want to look beautiful even in challenging times, says Baranovska.
A styling session at 365 Studio’s bunker space.
The first thing she did.
The full manicure-pedicure treatment at Bunny Nails.
Taking pride in ones appearance wasnt the only motivating factor for people to return to the salon.
It seemed to be the only thing keeping them going.
The only area in their lives they could control.
It was symbolic of the general emotional state of society.
People started to think not only of survival but about ones appearance.
Vlasova can tell you the exact color she chose that day: a bright, raspberry pink.
A residential building in Kyivs Sviatoshynskyi district after being hit by a missile in March 2022.
During my appointment, the air-raid alert started, followed by the sound of very loud explosions.
“The air alert continued through my entire appointment.
For two months I gave up makeup; I thought it was inappropriate, says Ponomarenko ofVogueUkraine.
She came on with makeup and said that she was wearing it even in the darkest moments.
I was so inspired that the next day I went to a colorist.
She lightened my hair, trimmed my split ends.
It felt like a renaissance.
A client getting her hair styled at LuChe Beauty Salon.
We were hugging, crying, sharing stories about how we survived and helped each other.
The joy of fresh hair color at Maxim Kulikov’s salon.
Beauty Goes Underground
The challenges didnt stop after salons reopened.
The only thing we didnt have was a way to wash hair.
If they absolutely needed to, they could use the kitchen sink.
The entrance to G.Bar’s underground salon aglow in the night.
G.Bar got lucky with its newest salon, G.Bar Brave, which opened in November 2022.
In the basement of Kyivs famous Arsenal building, the space was a cannon factory during World War II.
Borodina and her team chose the spot in 2021 for its trendy location and unique architecture.
We were initially worried about the fact it was in a basement.
When the war started, we realized this was a plus, she says.
Clients gathered for appointments in G.Bar’s underground space.
Those salons without basements direct customers to nearby shelters that are scattered across the city.
Ukraines hairstylists, manicurists, and facialists had to get resourceful.
A Clipse manicurist paints nails under only the light of a headlamp while the salon is without electricity.
Salons invested in rechargeable hair dryers.
There were days when nail artists did manicures and pedicures wearing headlamps.
It was important not to give up for me and my husband,” says Krolyvets.
“There was a feeling that if our warriors were fighting, we should do so too.
Many salons, like Bunny Nails, now have their own generators.
According to our rules, when an alarm starts, we tell everyone to seek shelter, says Borodina.
These days, however, many customers stay put.
Ninety percent of people refuse to seek shelter, explains Ponomarenko.
When you are constantly under fire, you get used to being a fatalist.
In that first year, 365 Studios bunker space was a salvation for staff and customers who were afraid.
They were really grateful, says Popova.
Ukrainians are not reckless, though.
“You have to find out where the launches are coming from.
If it is the Caspian Sea, we know it will take about 50 minutes to fly to Kyiv.
Theresalso the economic realitythat Ukrainians have been facing since the start of the war.
For Ukrainian salons, time really is money, and interrupting work for every air-raid alarm isnt realistic.
If the rockets are not flying, we are working, says Krolyvets.
We have sirens five to six times a day and if we dont work, then well go bankrupt.
At that rate, it would take all day to finish just one facial.
Scalp-specific treatments are also on the rise at G.Bar.
Theyre starting to invest less in expensive goods and more in themselves, she says.
People dont need beauty.
They need a feeling that they are alive and there is tomorrow.
But all this has changed because there is nothing to save for because the future is unknown.
Unsurprisingly, a rise in stress among the population seems to have caused a spike in skin-care treatments.
A lot of chronic conditions have reemerged, like acne,” explains Kuzma-Kurtyak.
“All our patients mentioned that they aged 10 years during the first several months of war.
A moment of pampering inside LuChe Beauty Salon.
Manicures remain Ukraines most popular beauty service, something that has always been a non-negotiable for most Ukrainian women.
Everyone [gets their nails done],” says Suant.
Though Ukrainians may not have invented the manicure, their meticulous process has nearly perfected it.
In Tymoshenkos hometown, a tiny village outside of Kyiv, she explains, there are five manicurists.
Everyoneknows who does nails.
I was given a ride by an old man in my village once,” she recalls.
He said, I know that Oksana is the best.
Today, salon owners have noticed a shift away from gel polish to the traditional manicure.
A local makeup artist recognized 52-year-old Iryna Filkina by her red and white polish.
Clipse Salon organized beauty days for the staff and patients at Okhmadyt Childrens Hospital.
Ukrainian soldiers have also benefited from beauty days.
I can tell you that the hairstyle has a great effect on the mood.
They would tell us that they saw G.Bar and they cried.
I started to see that we are doing much more [good] than I ever thought.
Closing hours at LuChe Beauty Salon.
As the war enters its third year, Ukraines salons will continue to face an uphill battle.
But they will also continue to fight.
Not just to keep the economy going.
Not just to show the world that, collectively, Ukrainians will never surrender.
People dont need beauty.
And beauty services help with that.
In Ukraine, beauty has taken on a wartime meaning that is profound, though not unprecedented.
