THE JOURNEY HERE
I know firsthand what it means to run a handmade business and manage your own workshop. In 2014, in Crimea, I founded my jewelry and souvenir studio. Over time, my younger sister Tatyana joined me. For our region, this was especially relevant because Crimea had always been a tourist destination: visitors from all over the world came for the mountains, the sea, the beaches, and the vineyards.
Thanks to the strong demand and fertile land, many artisans and craft businesses thrived in Crimea. Small wineries produced excellent wine, beekeepers made fragrant honey, locals collected mountain herbs and turned them into tea sets. Natural aromatic oils were produced. All types of crafts were developing — ceramics, wood, leather, metal, textiles, glass, stonework, farm products, seafood, and bakeries.
To enrich the cultural life of the region, large seasonal events and markets were held regularly — similar to Oktoberfest and Novemberfest. Each event included at least five zones: a music stage, a food court, artisans, farmers, and workshops. Everything was designed so visitors could dance, listen to music, enjoy delicious food, buy souvenirs, and learn something new. Each market had its own theme — boho, coastal, ethnic. We decorated our space according to the theme and selected products to match.
Local seaside restaurants showcased their seafood dishes with fresh mussels and rapana at the food courts. Street theaters from France often performed at our events, along with exhibitions and art performances brought from major European cities. I absolutely loved these events.
For me, they were less about income and more about connecting with musicians, artisans, and other entrepreneurs like myself. We exchanged gifts, bought from each other, and most importantly — I could see my customers in person, observe what they liked, and understand which products were worth producing more often.
Over time, we noticed that macramé pieces were in especially high demand. My sister had been practicing macramé professionally for many years. In Crimea, forests grow close to the sea, and during storms pieces of wood would drift into the water. Salt and waves polished them smooth. After every storm, my sister walked along the beaches collecting this driftwood to use as the base for wall hangings. People loved taking home a piece of Crimean forest and the Black Sea.
This is how our brand MacraMore was born. The name combines macrame and more — the word for “sea” (море) in Slavic languages. In English, it can be understood as “macrame + sea,” reflecting both the materials we used and the coastal inspiration behind the designs.
My sister and I had real synergy: she masterfully fulfilled the orders, while I managed the business — marketing, photo and video content, social media, booth design for markets, business cards, and branding materials. Over time, we received requests to decorate restaurants, cafes, and boho-style weddings, as well as large wholesale orders shipped abroad. At the same time, we continued making the items we started with — cards and jewelry.
Unfortunately, due to political events, Crimea fell under sanctions. International banking systems stopped working, material suppliers could no longer ship to us, and the tourist flow almost disappeared. It became extremely difficult, and we decided to close the business and move to Ukraine to start over. But soon the war began, and I had to emigrate.
My sister stayed behind — her husband was not allowed to leave the country. Despite the challenges, she began rebuilding her business. Thanks to consistent photo and video content, she managed to stay afloat and even launched a new brand of jewelry made from ceramic fragments of ancient submerged Ukrainian cities that occasionally wash ashore. She now collects driftwood in Ukrainian forests and riverbanks.
The first country I moved to was Norway. Thanks to good photography and marketing, I was able to sell a large batch of macramé artworks there, which helped my sister financially. Norwegians love decorating their homes and creating a cozy atmosphere — the pieces resonated with them immediately.
I also edited a small video and voiced it with the level of Norwegian I knew at the time.
Today, Tatyana has created a collection of ethnic macramé accessories that has gathered a large audience. Her recent videos reached 71,000 views on Instagram, 63,000 on TikTok, and 51,000 on YouTube. And despite her Ukrainian account being relatively new, she already receives steady orders and even hired assistants to manage the workload.
WEB AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
To better understand how my own business develops and grows, I pursued an education in web and graphic design.
While working on my personal project, I independently designed the website, visual identity, and content structure. At the same time, I took on projects for other businesses and worked on developing their websites as well.
Below are two websites I created for external companies. These projects reflect my approach to interface design and working with visual aesthetics.
