‘Stars align’ as area tattoo shop welcomes Ukrainian refugees

Daria Montague is aware of what it’s like to go away the whole lot and everybody you’re keen on behind to attempt to discover a higher life.

At 18, Montague, who was born in Russia, fled for North America, finally coming to Canada and making use of for refugee standing.

Having began her life from scratch at such a younger age and combating for years to construct a profitable life on the opposite aspect of the world, Montague says it was vital to her to lend a serving to hand to younger ladies who now discover themselves in the identical scenario after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February.

Montague, who owns Rebel Girl Ink tattoo studio on Cedar Pointe Drive in Barrie, lately welcomed two feminine Ukrainian tattoo artists to affix her staff, each of whom are set to get to work within the subsequent few weeks, she says. 

Julia Liverinova, 25, left her residence in Odessa, Ukraine after an explosion hit a constructing beside her residence. Whereas she was capable of finding secure haven exterior of her residence nation, Liverinova says (with the help of Montague who translated to English on her behalf) that leaving her household behind — together with her youthful brother who she is working to get a visa to affix her in Canada — was positively emotional. Each of her dad and mom opted to remain in Ukraine to attempt to assist.

Liverinova, who arrived in Canada on Might 27, has been working as a tattoo artist for shut to 5 years, she says, including she obtained into the artwork by way of an ex-boyfriend.

Liverinova says she’s liked artwork since she was a toddler and studied artwork in Italy earlier than changing into a tattoo artist. Tattooing is merely one other artistic outlet, she provides.

“(I) see tattooing as one other instrument and seeing an individual as a canvas. That’s simply one other discipline in artwork that (I) am having fun with,” Liverinova says. “It’s not only a image on the pores and skin, it vibrates and turns into a part of you — it carries vitality.”

Julia Kholiavchuk left her residence in Cherkasy in central Ukraine on Feb. 26, three days after the Russian invasion, and spent two months residing in Poland together with her mom and grandparents earlier than coming to Barrie to stay together with her aunt three weeks in the past.

“I believe it was (the) intuition of my mom that she simply (took) me and mentioned ‘come on’. It was exhausting as a result of we couldn’t discover how we (may) go away Ukraine. There was no transport, no buses, no vehicles. We used a practice,” she says. 

Kholiavchuk, who has been tattooing for 3 years, credited her grandfather for uplifting her to pursue an inventive life. 

“In my childhood, I all the time appeared (at) my grandfather’s drawing. I simply needed to make it like my granddad,” she says. “It’s a spot the place you are able to do what you need. I simply tried it and Ioved it.”

Montague says she’d been looking for an artist “like her or higher” to affix her staff for the final two years, however by no means discovered anybody that match the invoice.

Till now.

Each Kholiavchuk and Liverinova deliver with them their very own distinctive strengths, which is able to make them an awesome addition to the studio, Montague says.

“They each are very totally different and have very robust specialties that I can see from my perspective,” Montague says. “We’re all doing the identical commerce, however we’re all so totally different, and that is precisely what a tattoo store ought to be — very totally different kinds, energies and variety.

“A variety of artists got here by way of these doorways, however you want chemistry. You want one thing particular and these two are tremendous gifted. You possibly can see when the artists are doing it for the eagerness. These two got here a number of days aside and I used to be simply sitting there (pondering) the celebs lastly aligned,” she provides. 

Having the help of somebody like Montague, who is aware of first hand what they’re going by way of, means the world to each Kholiavchuk and Liverinova.

“You might be gifted, you are able to do your job effectively, nevertheless it’s all about who you meet in your path. Immigrating is tough. It’s exhausting to begin from scratch in a brand new place,” Liverinova says. “You might be the perfect artist, nevertheless it’s all concerning the universe and concerning the individuals who come alongside, the celebs, and all of that (coming) in place collectively — and that’s what occurred.

“From the primary day when the conflict broke, if it wasn’t for folks, strangers, (I) wouldn’t be right here,” Kholiavchuk says. “People who find themselves simply keen to step up and produce the proper folks collectively and who then information and mentor are all tremendous vital.”

Though it was greater than 20 years in the past, Montague will always remember the individuals who helped her alongside her personal journey to beginning a brand new life in Canada.

“I went by way of a really tough immigration course of myself and I consider that it’s vital to have religion that somebody will (assist you),” she says. “It’s all about giving again. In the future, again 25 years in the past, somebody (lent) me a hand and since then I’ve been making an attempt to present that vitality again to folks, particularly ladies.

“It was exhausting to be right here on (my) personal. I used to be youthful than them doing every kind of jobs. I had no ardour like they do, so that they’re on the proper path. They’re method forward of the place I used to be and it’s wonderful.”