Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has endured relentless air raids and drone strikes, disrupting each day life and endangering security.
Ahead of the International Day for Migration on 18 December, Elvira defined how artwork and the quiet energy of creativity have helped her by way of three tumultuous years.
While Kyiv bears the load of warfare, inside Crimean Tatar ceramist Elvira Demerdzhi’s showroom, her ceramics provide a fragile refuge and a reminder of residence.
Crimean roots
Elvira’s story begins lengthy earlier than she formed her first piece of clay. Her mom, pregnant together with her, returned from Uzbekistan to Crimea in 1989 as Crimean Tatars got here residence after a long time of exile.
Her grandmother, deported at aged 9 in 1944, was the only survivor of her household.
Elvira Demerdzhi produces vessels impressed by conventional Crimean Tatar ceramics.
Elvira’s great-grandfather, preventing Nazi Germany on the time, was later exiled and reunited together with her years later.
The household rebuilt their lives in Crimea, the place Elvira grew up, free to roam the southern coast they’d as soon as been torn from.
Before turning to ceramics, Elvira spent twelve years as an expert dancer and efficiency artist.
Russian annexation of Crimea
After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, she misplaced her residence, and displacement pushed her towards new types of expression. Drawn to one thing steadier, she enrolled in a non-public ceramics studio in Kyiv and got down to study all the pieces she might, together with find out how to run a enterprise.
Clay grew to become each a craft and a type of self-discovery. “When I was displaced after the annexation, I began studying Crimean Tatar lands and realized how little we really knew about the places we came from.”
For Elvira, each bit is grounded within the locations she carries inside her, reflecting the landscapes and recollections of her childhood and id.
Her studio, “Aqyar Ceramics,” carries the Crimean Tatar identify of her native Sevastopol. While conventional Crimean Tatar pottery is thought for its vibrant floral ornamentation, Elvira selected a contemporary, minimalist method. She works primarily with stone clay.
Elvira Demerdzhi sells her work by way of her model Aqyar Ceramics.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Elvira sought short-term security within the Netherlands. She might have stayed, however returning to Kyiv felt vital because it was her residence.
In October 2025 alone, Russia launched 269 missiles at Ukraine, the best quantity recorded within the first ten months of the 12 months, in keeping with official figures. After such intervals of intense shelling, gross sales usually drop sharply.
Business assist from IOM
“Crafts need stability, and right now I can only dream of that for my business,” stated Elvira.
Even so, some days convey small indicators of progress.
Families of army personnel attend her grasp courses, having fun with the main target and calm that clay calls for. Customers search for significant items. Restaurants and lodges place orders for handmade dishware.
This 12 months, Elvira acquired a enterprise grant from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which enabled her to purchase further gear and supplies. With the granny she was in a position to collaborate with different ceramists and tackle massive orders.
Elvira Demerdzhi holds dishes which mirror her Crimean Tatar roots.
Between 2022 and 2025, IOM helped over 1,800 Ukrainian micro and small companies keep afloat amid the pressures of a wartime financial system.
Rebuilding her enterprise is only one a part of Elvira’s life. She’s additionally elevating her six-year-old son, hoping to cross on their Crimean Tatar heritage when he’s prepared.
“He knows where he comes from, but I want to protect him a little longer,” she stated.
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