I was travelling to Ukraine in the morning of February 24 as I planned to visit and meet Ukrainian colleagues and friends. However, my flight was cancelled when I was queuing at Luton airport. I received a call, and heard bombs and sirens in the background. It was then I found out that the office where I should meet my long-time friend and organiser of aesthetic events in Ukraine had been destroyed by Russian bombs. It was a beautiful office – I called it The Hive because it was always busy and full of people, just like a bee’s hive of the aesthetic industry.
The aesthetic industry was born in the 90s on the post-USSR space, led by Russian-owned companies. Before 2014, Ukraine had been seen by many as a business satellite of Russia. The majority of aesthetic providers had been selling products and devices in Ukraine via Russian based or owned companies and bringing Russian key opinion…
