Interview with Michelle Karas

Monika: Today my guest is Michelle Karas, a Ukrainian transactivist and social media influencer. Hello Michelle! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Michelle: Hello! I was very pleased to receive an invitation for an interview. I hope I will be able to answer all the questions thoroughly and well. Thank you for the invitation!

Monika: All the eyes of the free world are set on the war raging in Ukraine. Are you safe now?

Michelle: While there is a war in Ukraine, and every day there are air raid alarms and explosions in one or another region, I cannot say that I or other Ukrainians are safe. Now we are choosing the right to freedom, we are fighting for the existence of our country. Of course, no one in Ukraine will be safe until we win the war. People die every day, and this is a horror that has become a reality in the center of Europe in the 21st century.

On behalf of all Ukrainians, I want to sincerely thank the democratic countries for their great support, without you we would not have survived, your help is very much needed even now. Together we will defeat the autocracy.

Interview with Katerina

Katerina is a Ukrainian social media influencer, linguist, and transgender woman whose story is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring. She lives in Kyiv, carrying with her the courage to share a truth that many in her country would rather silence. In a world where it is often safer to hide, Katerina has chosen to be visible, to open her heart, and to let others see not only her triumphs but also her wounds. By sharing her journey online, she gives voice to countless transgender people who may not yet have the strength to speak for themselves. Katerina’s path has not been lined with ease. With a master’s degree in linguistics, she might have expected a future shaped by words and knowledge, yet she was forced to make difficult choices simply to survive. 

 

She speaks with honesty about turning to escort work to fund her transition, about the loneliness that became her constant companion, and about the irony of building a new life while leaving an entire past behind. And yet, in her story, there is no bitterness, only a quiet resilience and the determination to live as herself. What makes Katerina remarkable is not only her beauty or her intelligence, but the light she carries despite the shadows. She believes that true femininity does not come from surgery or cosmetics but from the spirit that resides within, and she embodies that belief with grace. Even in moments of despair, she holds on to hope, hope for love, for belonging, and for a society that may one day open its heart to women like her. Katerina’s story is one of loss and struggle, but it is also one of dignity, courage, and the unshakable will to be authentic in a world that often demands silence.

Interview with Maria Tymoshenko

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Maria Tymoshenko, a Ukrainian composer and piano player that documents her transition in front of thousands on YouTube. Hello Maria!

Maria: Hello, Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Maria: I am a composer and sound designer. I like contemporary art and sometimes participate in different art projects as a musician and as a model. As a hobby, I like roofing. My last clip was shot on the highest bridge in Ukraine. I climbed to it without safety gear. Last year I participated in LGBTQ and human rights activism actions. 

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?

Maria: When I launched my YouTube channel, I never wrote that I am transgender. Even record labels and movie producers with which I worked did not know about this part of my life. I did not hide, but no one asked me and I did not say.

Interview with Anastasia-Eva Kristel Domani

Anastasia-Eva Kristel Domani is one of Ukraine’s most visible and outspoken transgender women, an activist, journalist, model, blogger, and entrepreneur whose life blends elegance with fearless advocacy. Born in Kyiv and a graduate of Kyiv National Economic University, she first entered the public eye through modeling before turning a childhood fascination with hosiery into The World of Tights and Stockings from Lady Anastasia-Eva, Ukraine’s first online portal dedicated to hosiery fashion and trends. She is the Founder and President of the "All of Us – Women!" Foundation and leader of the T-Woman – Ukraine initiative group since 2016, organizing social gatherings, cultural events, and safe spaces for transgender people across the country. In a nation with no organization devoted solely to transgender rights, her work is both pioneering and personal, challenging prejudice while advocating for bold projects such as a trans-inclusive fashion studio in Kyiv and a museum dedicated to transgender stories.

 

Anastasia-Eva’s style is a statement in itself, from tailored office wear to vintage-inspired lingerie, merging professionalism with unapologetic femininity. Inspired by icons like Dita Von Teese, she has even designed her own line of tights and stockings, produced in Italy and Poland, worn by European politicians and artists. Politically engaged, she took part in both the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, supporting democratic, pro-European reforms, and envisions a future where transgender women can serve openly in all spheres of public life. For her, activism is inseparable from personal fulfillment. She dreams of marriage, walking down the aisle in a white wedding dress and stockings, seeing love as the ultimate counterpart to equality. In this interview, Anastasia-Eva shares her story with candor, from her first steps into public life to her vision for the transgender movement in Ukraine, offering a portrait of a woman determined to live beautifully, bravely, and without compromise.