Viktoria Kulakova
- Viktoria Kulakova's hometown in southern Ukraine was occupied by Russian forces in February.
- Her artisan product business was shuttered and she felt "very real threats" to her life and freedom.
- In April, Viktoria fled and relaunched her business. She says sales are now booming.
Viktoria Kulakova's small business was out of operation for more than two months, while she grappled with the daily task of surviving Russia's occupation of her hometown.
Before Russia's invasion, her retail business It's Craft operated out of a warehouse in Nova Kakhovka — a small, strategically-significant city in the Kherson region of Ukraine.
When Russian forces arrived in February, Viktoria decided to stick around.