We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruslan Millinhton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ruslan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Hi, I wanna tell you about my big project on the whole back. In 2018, I started a large project—a full-back tattoo of a skull with a thorn branch above its head—for my dedicated client. This project took me 25 sessions, each lasting approximately 3 to 6 hours.
I specifically designed this piece for tattoo conventions, and it paid off. In 2019, I won 1st place in the “Large Tattoo” category at the Wrocław Tattoo Convention in Poland and 2nd place at the Kyiv Tattoo Convention in Ukraine.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Here’s your translated text:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been passionate about art and drawing. At the age of 15-16, I started tattooing myself and my friends. I was so obsessed with it that my entire family saw my dedication and supported me financially.
Once I upgraded from a homemade tattoo machine to a professional one, things started to improve. A local tattoo studio noticed me and immediately offered me a position as a resident artist, allowing me to work full-time. In that studio, I found friends and gained a lot of experience.
This was in my hometown, Sumy, Ukraine. Later, I moved to the capital, Kyiv, where I started my career as a top artist.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Of course, first and foremost, I started paying attention to how my social media looks from the outside. It’s literally like clothing on a person. Does it look neat? Is there useful information? Do you stand out from the crowd? It’s important to have all of this combined.
And, of course, a little bit of personal life—people enjoy not only following artistic and career growth but also understanding the personality behind it. That’s just my personal opinion.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Society can support artists by creating more platforms for self-expression—galleries, festivals, and grants. It’s important to value and pay for creativity rather than expecting free work. Additionally, promoting art, sharing works, and spreading the word about talented creators helps. The more attention art gets, the stronger the creative ecosystem grows.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://millinhtontattoo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millington_tattoo?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15kErprmdK/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@millington_tattoo?si=IA6HSbBw_mVLmD7a