Evgeniya Zhaunova

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

Three days before the wedding, I found out that my fiancé had been lying to me about everything. Once the truth came out, he canceled our wedding. The day before, I had gotten a small tattoo on my wrist to honor our relationship. That time was incredibly hard for me, and eventually, I covered the tattoo with a large image of a Spartan warrior. To me, he became a symbol of what a real partner should be — a protector, a shield, a wall, a person you can lean on — not a lying smoo

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

The cartoon characters would say that deep down, I’m still a child at heart, despite what my passport says — 38 years old. The Spartan would tell the story of one of the most painful moments in my life — but I survived it with strength and resilience. As for the tattoo with the robot characters, it all started with me wanting just one cute piston, like the one my husband has — but I couldn’t stop. So it turned into a collage made up of small elements from the sleeve

What would you do with the $25,000?

A month ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I’m in the U.S., and my family is in Belarus — a whole different continent, in Eastern Europe. I would use this money to visit her and help buy her medication. I miss her terribly, and it hurts that I can’t be by her side during such a difficult time.