Viktor Palazhchenko lives in Skibbereen with his wife, Olga, and their seven-year-old son, Lavrentii. He was born and raised in Mariupol, in eastern Ukraine, and spent most of his life there. The family then lived for five years in Lviv before eventually coming to Ireland.

They left Ukraine after the beginning of the full-scale war. 

For Viktor, leaving was first and foremost a decision made as a husband and father. His wife was recovering from a serious car accident and surgery, while their son, who has a disability, needed ongoing support. Ireland offered the family access to that support, and because they already had some English, settling in an English-speaking country felt a little more manageable. This July marked three years since they arrived.

Before the war, Viktor’s professional life looked very different. He trained as a journalist and worked as a television correspondent and presenter. He worked in communications, managed social media, wrote and edited, and produced small video projects.

“Practically my entire adult life before the war was connected with words,” he says. Then life began to change very quickly. After Olga and their son were injured in a car accident, Viktor stepped away from work for several months to care for them. By the time he was able to work again, Ukraine was dealing with widespread power cuts. He remembers fellow journalists searching for cafés and other places where they could charge a laptop and find Wi-Fi.

So Viktor went to work for Nova Poshta, the Ukrainian postal and delivery company.

“It was a very conscious, strategic choice,” he says. “The postal service remained essential. Parcels still had to be delivered whatever the circumstances.”

His branch had a petrol generator, so even when the electricity disappeared, the work continued.

After moving to Ireland, he had to begin again. He worked as a waiter, then as a kitchen porter at the West Cork Hotel, and later as a night porter. Working nights also became a very practical way to improve his English.

Later, when Olga began working with Irish National Opera, the family rearranged their lives again. Viktor moved to part-time work and took on most of the day-to-day care of their son.

He then trained as a special needs assistant and began working with children with additional educational needs.

That professional change is closely connected to his own experience as a father. “A lot of what other parents go through is familiar to me personally,” he says.

He is now beginning his second school year in this field, working as a substitute SNA in several schools around West Cork and taking part in home-support programmes for children.

For more than a year, he also volunteered at CoAction West Cork’s Possibilities Hub, working with adults with autism. This summer, CoAction recognised his volunteer work with the Body Award 2026.

And there, unexpectedly, some of his old journalistic skills became useful again.

Viktor heard one participant reading and immediately noticed his voice. He suggested trying audiobook narration. The participant read; Viktor recorded and edited. Together they produced several audiobooks.

The project gave the participant a chance to try narration and hear his own voice become part of a finished creative project.

There is another important part of Viktor’s life: the Church.

He has served as a deacon in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for seven years and continues his theological education. This year he completed his degree at Kyiv Theological Seminary and began further studies at Kyiv Theological Academy.

When our conversation turned to clothes, it became clear that Viktor had always had an interest in style.

He does not follow fashion constantly, and everyday life usually calls for practical choices. But he has always paid attention to clothes and the way people present themselves.

He likes classic menswear and strong, masculine silhouettes. Even as a teenager, he might stop while changing television channels if he came across a fashion show.

His willingness to experiment started even earlier.

He laughs as he remembers inventing outfits for his younger sister Maria as a child, cutting up his mother’s tights and turning them into improvised clothes.

At university, he enjoyed dressing in a way that was bright and noticeable.

“Perhaps somewhere inside me that 18-year-old boy is still there, even though in the mirror now I see a grown man with a completely different life experience.”

That was the Viktor I wanted to work with for this shoot: an adult man accustomed to thinking first about family, work and responsibility, but who had not lost his curiosity.

Before the photoshoot, we went to Cork together to choose clothes for several different looks.

Normally Viktor shops in a very practical way: there is a budget and there is a list. Comfortable trousers. Shoes. A few t-shirts. A white shirt for church.

This time we tried things on, compared combinations and looked at clothes he probably would not have stopped to consider on his own.

For me, styling a person is not about disguising them. 

After the shoot, I wanted to know not only whether Viktor liked the photographs, but whether the experience had changed the way he saw himself.

“I am quite a modest and self-critical person,” he says. “I know what my strengths are, but it is still important for me to have the chance to see myself through someone else’s eyes.”

Then he added: “With Galyna’s help, I felt comfortable trying something unfamiliar and looking at myself differently. Now I know that from time to time I would like to return to that kind of experience.”

Look 1: This look continues the theme of natural ease, but takes it in a more classic and refined direction. A navy blazer, light blue shirt and linen trousers create an elegant seaside combination that sits naturally against the coastal landscape.

Natural fabrics and relaxed styling keep the outfit from becoming too formal.

There is structure without stiffness here.

Stylist’s tip: Classic menswear does not have to feel strict. An unusual necklace adds an unexpected, more personal detail to the classic outfit. Mixing classic pieces with a less expected accessory can soften the whole look and make it feel much more personal.

Look 2:  This look is built around relaxed summer elegance. A pale blue linen shirt, worn open at the collar with the sleeves rolled up, is paired with lightweight trousers in a natural tone to create a silhouette that feels easy but still considered.

Suede shoes and a simple piece of jewellery add character without making the outfit feel over-styled.

The appeal comes from restraint: good fabrics, soft tones and nothing that feels overworked.

Stylist’s tip: Do not be afraid to let natural fabrics look slightly rumpled. That is part of their beauty.

Look 3: The final look is about natural elegance.

A linen shirt and lightweight trousers in natural fabrics fit well in the surroundings, while suede shoes bring warmth and softness to the overall look.

It brings us back to something Viktor said after the shoot: clothes can support the person rather than overwhelm them.

Stylist’s tip: Choose clothes that allow you to move naturally and feel comfortable. 

Stylist and photographer:
Galyna Zaitseva.