Victoria Ilienko - participant of the regional contest "Woman of Donetsk Region" in 2025, nomination "Master of her craft"
In the frontline city of Kramatorsk, where every day is a challenge, there lives a woman who not only works but creates light. Victoria Ilyenko is a doctor, a craftswoman, and a volunteer. Her life is a combination of professionalism, creativity and deep humanity.
Born in Kramatorsk, Victoria has been soaking up the warmth of her hometown since childhood. After graduation, she devoted herself to medicine, a profession that requires not only knowledge but also a big heart. But since 2014, her soul has found another path - needlework. At a time when the country was experiencing upheaval, she began to create beauty: embroidering, weaving, sewing, decorating, creating soap and cosmetics with her own hands.
Her works are not just products, they are emotions, stories, and symbols. The soap bouquets she creates have become a real brand: they decorate homes, bring joy, and carry the scent of hope. Victoria does not rest on her laurels: she constantly teaches others, conducts master classes, shares the secrets of her craft, and inspires.
A special place in her life is occupied by the towel "Melody of a Towel", which she embroidered together with other craftswomen. This towel entered the Ukrainian Book of Records as a symbol of women's unity, creativity and national dignity.
Since 2018, Victoria has been a volunteer. Her help is not only about clothes or food, but also about attention, care, and support. She helps those who are homeless, without hope, without strength. And she does it every day, without pathos, with a deep inner light.
Today, when Kramatorsk lives in frontline conditions, Victoria does not leave the city. Despite a personal tragedy - the death of her husband in the war - she continues to work, help, and create. Her strength is in her resilience, her faith is in goodness, and her mission is to serve people. Her story is a story of love, loss, struggle, and creativity. It is a story of how one person can become a source of light for many.
Read the detailed story of the contestant here: https://surli.cc/kgytdm