A Waterloo tattoo artist has returned home after travelling to Ukraine last month, where he used his skills to offer soldiers a brief escape from the realities of war. Ryan Horniblow, who previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces, travelled to Ukraine’s capital after connecting with a foreign volunteer recruitment team to see how he could put his artistic talents to use. Horniblow said he wanted to find a more hands-on way to help. “I had given some money to some charitable organizations and things like that, but it didn’t feel quite tangible,” he said. Despite the Canadian government’s advice against travelling to Ukraine, Horniblow bought a plane ticket and made the more than 7,500 km journey. During his time there, he tattooed approximately 20 soldiers for free, creating a range of designs based on their interests and personal stories. The designs included Ukraine’s coat of arms and more personal tributes. However, the work also came with challenges. “Halfway through a tattoo, the power goes out and then there’s no lights. But because I work with everything on battery, it was a super seamless experience,” he said. For Horniblow, helping boost morale is more than skin deep. Before opening his tattoo shop, he served with the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada, one of the oldest infantry regiments based in Waterloo Region. He said his interest in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dates back to 2014 when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. “I think the people there are suffering immensely for something that they never asked for, didn’t provoke,” Horniblow said. “I think that they deserve all the help that we, or particularly the West can possibly give them.” The trip was not without risk, something his mother, Tracy Livingstone, was aware of. “He chose to go into an act of war zone to provide some sort of positive morale to a country and people that needed it the most. And for that, I am so proud of him,” she said. Horniblow said he did not make the trip for personal gain, but wanted soldiers to know they had support. “Nobody made me go, I don’t gain anything from going,” He said. “It’s something that just I can do for the people and that they can see me doing it. They know that they have supporters.”
