What do Winston Churchill’s cigar, Napoleon’s pose, and Margaret Thatcher’s handbag all have in common? They’re iconic political trademarks. And in Ukraine during the 2000s, that trademark was Yulia Tymoshenko’s braid.
In this Dad Tangent, we explore how Tymoshenko turned a traditional Ukrainian crown braid into a powerful political brand. From her “Gas Princess” roots to her rise as a populist firebrand, her hairstyle became both a nod to folk tradition and a symbol of modern leadership. Along the way, we’ll compare Ukraine’s political battles to a clash of hairstyles — Tymoshenko’s braid, Yushchenko’s scars, and Yanukovych’s… well, comb-over.
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