Soy Candle — 45.3°N 34.4°E (Crimea)

op notes: lemon, mandarin

Heart notes: ginger, bergamot

Base notes: white tea, jasmine

Materials: ceramic, soy wax, natural oils

Burn time: 60 hours

Size: height – 6–7 cm, diameter – 10 cm

Google these coordinates.

Do you remember biting into a peach, its juice running down to your elbows?

Night swims. A meteor shower at the end of August.

Parties by the sea that lasted until sunrise.

Mulberry-stained hands.

The smell of spices at local markets, and the sound of the Crimean Tatar language.

Your first love. The chirping of crickets.

The mountains of Yalta and Sudak.

Honeyed baklava and red wine sweeter than honey.

Sun-soaked pink tomatoes bursting at the seams.

Boat rides and playful dolphins in the blue water.

The peaks of Ai-Petri. Endless vineyards.

The scent of juniper and mountain lavender.

Warm sand.

Waves foaming white at the shore, pulling back and returning again.

Feet in the sea that’s always moving — away from the land and back again.

This is the homeland of Ukrainians who still live there.

And of thousands of families who were forced to leave their homes because of occupation.

This is Ukraine.

Crimea is Ukraine.

A soy candle infused with a crisp, lemon-fresh aroma.