LEILA FADEL, HOST:
On the first floor of a nondescript concrete building in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, a handful of women are partaking in a ritual many outsiders may consider unfit for wartime - they're getting their nails done. As NPR's Ashley Westerman reports, for them, it's a matter of dignity and resistance.
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ASHLEY WESTERMAN, BYLINE: Julia Tsubera owns Blago Nails & Beauty in the city's ancient Pechersk neighborhood.
WESTERMAN: Here, they specialize in what they call the Ukrainian manicure.
JULIA TSUBERA: (Speaking Ukrainian).
WESTERMAN: "The first tool is used to lift the cuticle," Tsubera says. The tech will use another one to cut it. Manicurists using mini drills with special bits at the end to cut the cuticle is just one thing that makes this method unique. These manicures are also done dry without soaking the hands. Tsubera has taught at some 45 beauty schools over her career and says doing it this way gives you nicer nails for longer, which is helpful when your country is at war, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.
TSUBERA: (Speaking Ukrainian).
WESTERMAN: "This way also makes the manicure look better over time," Tsubera says. It can still look very nice for up to three weeks. Many Ukrainian women think getting proper manicures is nothing special. It's just part of looking as good as you can. It's a matter of hygiene for some but mostly a way of feeling normal in wartime. Science says it's a good thing to stick to routines.
STEVE SUGDEN: To any degree that's possible, people that can return back to a semblance of their routine have been shown to have a favorable response.
WESTERMAN: That's Steve Sugden. He's an associate professor and clinician of psychiatry at the University of Utah and studies civilian populations living under conflict. He says for many Ukrainians, getting a manicure represents the return of a routine and, through it, a connection with others.
SUGDEN: Like within some of the Syrian camps. The most important thing that they have on those camps are the soccer pitches because it's a chance for the people just to go out there and kick a ball and just feel right about having some degree of connection. And people think, well, they should be doing A, B, C and D. And it's like, I think everybody connects differently.
WESTERMAN: Sugden says as Ukraine's conflict with Russia enters a war of attrition, people will inevitably experience even more chronic PTSD symptoms. Despair and disillusionment will affect millions. So coping mechanisms are key.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking Ukrainian).
WESTERMAN: Here's a video posted to X showing Ukrainian women. They're standing behind a table, with all tools to do a manicure laid out in front of them - nail polish, nail files. They're also in uniform, and they're on the front lines. Other social media posts show perfectly manicured hands distributing humanitarian aid, fixing generators and even holding a sniper rifle.
The nail technician finishes the manicure - first, applying gel for a perfect shape and then carefully layering on polish for a shiny finish. Salon owner Julia Tsubera says every nation has their way of feeling good about themselves.
TSUBERA: (Speaking Ukrainian).
WESTERMAN: "In Ukraine, we like to cover our nails with gel and beautiful paint," she says. "This is our beauty ritual." It's also a small act of defiance and why she has kept her salon open through a struggling economy, hourslong power cuts and even Russian missile strikes on the city.
Ashley Westerman, NPR News, Kyiv.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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