I grew up in Eastern Ukraine, a Russian speaking region, studying Ukrainian language only at school and never using it in my daily life. I started my career as a photographer on children's birthdays when I was 18. I studied journalism and film directing at the same time and soon became a TV presenter on regional TV, but in Western Ukraine, speaking Ukrainian for TV viewers. Then I moved to the capital of my country, Kyiv, went on maternity leave and launched an art project while raising my child. In Kyiv I continued photographing kids’ birthdays and also corporate events, private portrait sessions. During COVID I started food-photography and when quarantine ended - I already collaborated with a bakery making photos for their ads and signs. And then the war started. Two weeks before we left the country for, as we realised two years after, never coming back. We lived in Canada two years, and I filmed my first documentary there. The idea of this documentary was born when I saw Ukrainian families in Canada: parents speaking to their children in Russian and children answering in English. I figured out that my family will have the same in Future. Also, I organised an exhibition and printed a photobook (which now is part of the collection of one of Montreal’s libraries) with my art project photos.
I believe that attitude changes everything, that there are so many beautiful things around and that everyone can create magic for their own life. I love rainy days and rays of sun, I love meaningful music and inspirational books, cozy sweaters and slow movies.