Valentyna Muravska from Kashperivka is a self-taught craftswoman who has turned embroidery into a source of strength. Her eldest son was serving in Afghanistan, and it was when she was worried about him that she started embroidering. During the full-scale war in Ukraine, her hands knew no rest again: she sewed more than a hundred tactical vests, felt boots, balaclavas, and fleece garments for the military.

Valentyna’s technique is unique, similar to carpet weaving. The embroidery is three-dimensional, textured, with a careful selection of colours. The image of Shevchenko created by her is an example of jewellery precision and emotional power, where even the eyes speak.

Today, her towels and paintings are kept in France, Poland, Germany, Canada, the USA and dozens of other countries. It is not just handicrafts – it is a message to the world about Ukraine, its unconquered people and innate dignity. Valentyna chooses bright colours as a matter of principle: her embroidery is a response to grief, a thread that sews together memory and hope.