Amidst the protracted conflict that has been testing Ukraine’s resilience for four years, an unusual initiative is blossoming in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. Vovk Studio, founded by two strong women, Olena Vovk and Nataliia Shchedlkunova, offers veterans and their families a unique path to healing and returning to civilian life through the art of tattooing. This is not just a salon, but a rehabilitation center where ink becomes a symbol of resilience, identity, and hope, helping individuals overcome trauma and find a new calling, as has happened with former soldier Oles Samus.
The Path to Ink: From the Front Lines to the Studio
Oles Samus’s life, until recently a successful cartoonist working for a French media company, took a dramatic turn with the full-scale invasion. Despite his wife’s, also an artist, concerns, he decided to join the army. Just a month after the start of hostilities, a mine explosion rocked their Kharkiv home, miraculously sparing his 14-year-old son from the flying shards of broken windows. “It was a turning point,” recalls Samus. “Can you imagine how I felt then?” His wife, son, and daughter evacuated to Poland, while he himself headed to the front lines.
While in the trenches, Oles witnessed how soldiers inspired and supported each other. When his comrades learned of his artistic talents, they asked him to draw portraits of their families and loved ones. In turn, Samus began to notice and admire the tattoos on many fighters’ bodies, often featuring nationalist or militaristic symbols.
“It all starts in childhood – older generations, like my parents, taught me that tattoos were something bad, only for prisoners and criminals,” Oles shares. However, his time on the front line completely changed his worldview. He not only wanted to get a tattoo himself but also decided that he would definitely master this art one day, as he was an artist by calling.
In December 2023, after two years of service, with the front line remaining unstable, Samus stepped on an anti-personnel mine in the Donetsk region, losing his right leg. Nine surgeries and months of grueling physiotherapy in a military hospital led to Oles being fitted with a prosthesis. It took him almost seven months to learn to walk again.
Vovk Studio: A Mission of Revival and Identity
Meanwhile, in Kharkiv, 50-year-old Olena Vovk took on the mission of changing traditional approaches to supporting soldiers and their families. She met Nataliia Shchedlkunova, who herself had served for 30 years. Nataliia’s husband died on the day of the full-scale invasion, and her son, Yevhen Olehovych Hromadskyi, was recognized as the youngest hero of Ukraine for his role in the defense of Kharkiv.
Finding solace in their shared experiences of loss, the women recognized the vast gaps in the veteran care system and support for military families facing secondary trauma. In 2023, they conceived the idea of creating Vovk Studio, a tattoo salon aimed at meeting the needs of soldiers and veterans.
“I had a feeling that many people really wanted tattoos but were afraid to commit,” says Olena Vovk. “The war gave it a different sense of urgency because tomorrow might not come. Before, it was just a drawing on the body. Now it’s more about identity: what you want to say about yourself, how you see yourself. As professionals, we help people achieve that.” In this context, a tattoo becomes not just an adornment but a powerful tool for self-expression and affirmation of one’s ‘self’ in a changed world.
Tattoos as Therapy: Healing Through Art
Oles Samus found his way to Vovk Studio through a journalist friend, where he completed a carefully designed course by Olena and Nataliia, including studying the history and art of tattooing. Along with 30 other students – veterans like himself, or family members of soldiers – they first practiced on artificial skin and then on models under the guidance of experienced masters.
“When I’m tattooing, I forget about everything that’s happening,” Samus admits. “When you’ve been at war for two years, you accumulate a lot of negativity – you’re always stressed, trying to forget the terrible things you’ve seen, but working here, in the studio, I feel like I’m returning to civilian life. I immerse myself in art and live in a different reality, in a world of creativity.” This testimony highlights the profound therapeutic effect that the tattooing process can have. For many veterans who have endured unspeakable suffering, the focus on art, which requires precision and attention, becomes a powerful distraction and a meditative practice, allowing them to temporarily disconnect from traumatic memories.
The psychological aspect plays a key role here: a tattoo allows not only to express what has been experienced but also to symbolically mark a transitional phase in life, solidify new beliefs, or honor a memory. It is an act of control over one’s own body and destiny, which is particularly important for those who felt deprived of this control during the war. For his first tattoo, Oles plans to get an image of a chest plate on his left forearm, with his wife’s face in the center: “To remind me what I’m fighting for.”
Symbols of Resilience: Tattoo Culture in Wartime
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, tattoos in Ukraine, which have long been a proud expression of national identity and culture, have acquired a new, powerful meaning of unity and resilience. Traditional Ukrainian ornaments, Cossack symbols, images of the trident, and other patriotic motifs have become ubiquitous, serving not only as personal talismans but also as public declarations of defiance and belonging to a united nation. This phenomenon reflects a general trend in tattoo culture where, during periods of social upheaval or conflict, body art transforms into a powerful tool for collective and individual self-identification.
Tattoos help to immortalize heroic moments, the memory of fallen comrades, or simply a feeling of deep attachment to the homeland. They become a visual diary of experiences, a way to preserve history on the skin when words may prove insufficient. This phenomenon is not new: throughout human history, warriors and survivors of conflicts have used tattoos to mark their status, demonstrate valor, and as a symbol of belonging to a specific group.
The Other Side of Ink: Risks and Warnings
However, this revival of tattoo culture also has a darker side that requires careful attention. In particular, this refers to nationalist tattoos referencing the Russian GULAG, as well as the appropriation of Nordic symbols by white supremacists. For example, the Azov Regiment, one of the most well-known units of the National Guard of Ukraine, has repeatedly been the target of Russian propaganda, accusing it of using neo-Nazi symbols such as the Wolfsangel rune. While historically these symbols may have been mythological signs of protection, luck, or healing in ancient Germanic culture, far-right movements have successfully linked them to ideals of “blood purity” and other fascist ideologies. The use of such symbols, even if they have a different meaning for the wearer, can be interpreted ambiguously and contribute to the incitement of hatred.
Furthermore, Ukrainian tattoos can pose a real danger on the front lines. In the Kharkiv region, members of the 13th “Khartia” Brigade honed their FPV drone piloting skills. One of the pilots, call sign “Bar,” had a tattoo of ammunition on the back of his right hand, which he did not want to be photographed. If identified by separatists or Russian sympathizers in the east, this could lead to serious problems: “There are Ukrainian soldiers who are tortured or killed for their tattoos,” shares Bar. This underscores that in a conflict situation, a tattoo ceases to be solely a personal choice and can become a marker carrying fatal risks.
Equally important is the issue of safety during the tattooing process itself. Studies have shown that tattoos are associated with an increased risk of contracting all types of hepatitis, especially hepatitis C. This risk significantly increases when the procedure is performed outside of licensed studios. There is compelling evidence of the transmission of blood-borne diseases, including syphilis, through unsafe tattooing practices such as the use of unsterilized needles, contaminated inks, or unhygienic conditions. Professional studios like Vovk Studio prioritize sterility and safety, which is critically important for the health of clients, especially those already weakened by trauma and stress.
A Fine Line: The Tattoo Artist and Emotional Transfer
In the context of working with veterans who have experienced deep trauma, another important ethical question arises concerning the role of the tattoo artist. Lobyntseva, who holds a degree in art therapy from the PLINE Center for Psychology in Kharkiv, emphasizes the delicate dynamics of art therapy for both instructors and recipients. Although she does not currently practice as a therapist, she is well aware of the potential unintended consequences that can arise from an imbalance in emotional dynamics.
There is a risk that a tattoo artist who has not fully healed from the horrors of war themselves might transfer negative energy to clients – after all, it is a process involving blood. Or they might push their fellow soldiers to create tattoos they may later regret. “If I’m going through something myself, I don’t want my energy to be transferred to someone else,” says Lobyntseva. “My tattoo session might not be therapy in the direct sense, but it’s nice when it can be a form of comfort.” This comment highlights that while tattooing can be deeply therapeutic, it is important for artists to be aware of their role and responsibility, creating a safe and supportive space.
At Vovk Studio, Oles Samus is happy to have completed his tattoo rehabilitation course. He is now waiting for clients. If the flow is small, he is considering signing a new army contract. They have a saying, he shares: “Once in the army, always in the army.” This story of Oles Samus and Vovk Studio is a vivid example of how art, resilience, and human compassion can become powerful tools for healing and rebirth in the darkest of times, offering veterans not only a new profession but also a path to reclaiming their identity and purpose in life.