Ukrainians are showing their support for their country.
Over the past few weeks, tattoo artists in the country have seen a rise in requests for patriotic symbols or phrases from tattoo customers.
This is just one of several ways that business owners in the country are helping to keep morale high during this difficult period.
The Ukrainian flag has become one of the most popular requests at a tattoo shop in Lyiv, the Associated Press reports. Customers are also requesting other patriotic images, such as military vehicles or coats of arms.
One of the shop’s artists, Natalia Tanchynets, spoke with the news outlet and explained that 70% of the proceeds from these tattoos will go to the Ukrainian army.
The shop also sports anti-war imagery, such as a stop sign with the word “war” written on it.
An 18-year-old woman recently got a tattoo of the Ukrainian coat of arms with a military aircraft at the shop. She spoke with the AP, explaining her reasons for getting the tattoo.
“This tattoo means a lot to us,” she said. “It is a very important phase for our country, which must go down in history, which must be passed on to future generations.”
Other business owners in the country have also found ways to join in and keep people motivated.
Yuri Kobryn owns a business that creates advertising billboards. He explained that since the war started, he’s started printing motivational messages on his billboards.
Many of his messages are targeted at the Ukrainian military and its troops.
“The guys from the army were pleasantly surprised and asked me if I could make smaller versions that they could give them to others,” Kobryn said. “So that we can help them in our victory.”