Resilience in Gold: Building a Ukrainian Jewelry Brand in Times of War

“For me, my business is a way to speak about Ukrainian culture, about women, about resilience and beauty,” says Solomiya Panchyshyn, co-founder of the MarkoSoli jewelry brand and a grantee of the Women’s Opportunity Fund.

Founded in 1996 as a small family workshop in Ukraine’s Lviv region, MarkoSoli began with Solomiya’s grandfather, a talented jeweler who built the business alongside his wife. Today, Solomiya and her brother lead the brand’s reimagining — modernizing its design and production, opening a full-cycle facility in Lviv, and expanding sales internationally while collaborating with Ukrainian artists and supporting charitable initiatives.

A graduate of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Solomiya officially joined the family business in 2015. Since 2022, the brand has launched collections such as “Vilna” (“Free”), inspired by a wheat ear — a symbol of Ukraine’s strength — alongside “Stories of the Free,” a project amplifying women’s voices across the country.

Recently, the LELEKY brooch by MarkoSoli was worn by Olena Zelenska during an official meeting, highlighting Ukrainian artistry on the international stage.

In the midst of war, Solomiya’s work is not only about jewelry — it is about identity, continuity, and resilience.