Resilience and Innovation: Olga Krysiuchenko's Journey from Beekeeping Passion to Successful Business in War-Torn Kherson

The beekeeping family of Olga and Oleksandr Krysiuchenko continues to work and build their future in Pryozerne, a village in the frontline region of Kherson. The couple has been engaged in beekeeping for 7 years, and since the Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they have not only managed to stay afloat but have also turned their passion into a business. 

Since 2022, their bees have been working amidst fields marked by shells, yet every spring flowers continue to bloom on these fields. 

Beekeeping has been her husband Oleksandr’s passion, but Olga has always been by his side, helping and supporting him. She became a true expert in beekeeping and bee psychology. 

“Bees are insects with character, and not all of them let you close. But in general, they are very interesting to observe – how they communicate with each other, how they work, finding something for everyone to do, how they worry, get angry, fight, and overcome. They don’t react much to shelling or alarms, but these hardworking insects are very dependent on the person who takes care of them. They can immediately sense the mood of the person working with them, and they always respond to it,” Olga explains professionally. 

In the summer of 2024, Olga learned about a mini-accelerator for women’s entrepreneurship launched by the public organization "Bilozerky Regional Development Center" in partnership with International Alert, with technical support from UN Women Ukraine and funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). She was not afraid to step out of her comfort zone, underwent specialized training for women interested in running their own businesses, and won her first grant, which not only provided funds but also support at every stage of the project. Her mentor, Svitlana Matvyeeva, helped her with taxation issues, software, social media development, and advertising promotion. 

Olga began making candles from beeswax and pouring honey into hazelnuts. 

“My candles spread all over the world – to France, Italy, Spain, Poland... I sent them to friends and acquaintances. And they would reply: ‘Your candle smells like home, it feels especially warm!’” says the beekeeper. 

And then – even more. Olga Krysiuchenko registered as an individual entrepreneur and is now successfully implementing another grant from the employment service. 

“After diving into projects, I had even more questions. But now they don’t scare me because I see the perspective. The most important thing is that at the training sessions and workshops, I met people who shared stories of their successful businesses that continue here, in Kherson region. When you realize you’re not alone, you have fewer worries about the future. They work here, on their native land, and so will I – that’s the best motivation!” Olga shares. 

A few months have passed since the Instagram page "Natural Honey from the Hardworking Bees of Unbreakable Kherson" (kherson_bees_pro_med) appeared, where Olga promotes products from the family’s nomadic apiary, and the reach and views are growing. Before the new season begins, the 35-year-old entrepreneur is working on future plans. She is now convinced that in Kherson, where the security situation remains unstable and difficult, everything must be planned in advance and done even more meticulously. 

“We don’t talk much about the frontline area, but the fears of war that we’ve lived through here – we must shout them out to the world! I am grateful to everyone who finds the strength to fight and keep moving forward, who is not afraid to take important steps even during wartime, who burns from within and shares their positivity with others,” Olga says. 

The mini-accelerator for women’s entrepreneurship gave Olga the knowledge, resources, and confidence to create a stable business. Thanks to her example, other women in Kherson see opportunities for development even in difficult conditions. 

The public organization "Bilozerky Regional Development Center" continues to support women’s entrepreneurship in the region, contributing to economic recovery and maintaining a good quality of life in the frontline territories of Kherson. 

The project "Enhancing the Capacity of Women in Kherson Region" is funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) with technical support of UN Women Ukraine. The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil society organizations working on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities. 

This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.