Asgarda: Amazons of the Ukraine Favorite 

In the Ukraine, a country where females are victims of sexual trafficking and gender oppression, a new tribe of empowered women is emerging. Calling themselves the “Asgarda”, the women seek complete autonomy from men. Residing in the Carpathian Mountains, the tribe is comprised of 150 women of varying ages, primarily students, led by 30 year-old Katerina Tarnouska. Reviving the tribal traditions of the Scythian Amazons of ancient Greek mythology, the Asgarda train in martial arts, taught by former Soviet karate master, Volodymyr Stepanovytch, and learn life skills and sciences in order to become ideal women. Little physical documentation existed on the tribe, until recently, when renowned French photographer, Guillaume Herbaut, met the Asgarda back in 2004 in the midst of the Orange Revolution.

The Woman WARRIOR

They claimed to be the kings of the forest,
But destroyed the balance of the universe at the same time.
They used to be the sun burning in the sky,
But the dust and the clouds no longer let them shine.
While they have abused their power,
I can still sing the mysterious song
And let them drown in the endless wonder,
With the secret I have hidden.
I tell you, the world,
I am the woman warrior.

The moon has become my mien,
The snow has turned to my skin
The flowers are my makeup,
The nightingale sings my voice,
And the poets resides in my hearts.
In the blazing fire,
I mix my courage with the molten iron.
Then forge the swords with my strength.
In the clear water,
I cleanse my spirit and my mind.
Then the stars point me the way to the future.
I tell you, the world,
I am the woman warrior.

The ancestors have given me the wisdom.
The nature has taught me the lesson of respect.
We rely on each other,
But we are still independent.
Now you understand,
Why I stand firm to guard
The territory belongs to us.
Because I am a woman.
I am the woman warrior.