This article is one of a series of profiles that highlight successful Ukrainian businesses and startups. The series was funded by the regional fund Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and created in partnership by Spend With Ukraine, an organization that launched a platform for businesses with Ukrainian roots. It also provided a meaningful way to support Ukraine by choosing to spend within Ukraine. The sponsors of the series are not involved in the editing process of writing these profiles. As a child, Kseniya would cut up postcards and assemble them at her grandmother’s house in Donetsk Oblast. Years later, Morozenko found herself stuck in her apartment in Kyiv due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She remembered the homemade jigsaws she had made as a child. She searched shops in Ukraine but only found jigsaws geared for children. This gave her the inspiration to start Frisson, a company that features Ukrainian artwork aimed at adults. She told the Kyiv Independent that she wanted to support Ukrainian contemporary art and artists by displaying their work in puzzles. The puzzles are elegantly packaged with the pieces wrapped inside an environmentally-friendly mesh bag and bundled with two coasters, a postcard, a note, and a poster of the design. Morozenko said she was inspired by Apple’s packaging and spent a lot of time crafting the packaging. She even hand-stitched the first 200 mesh bags. Frisson had a wide market in 2020 as no one was doing anything similar in Ukraine. Morozenko invested $5,000 in the project, and although she has recently hired a social-media manager, it is a one man team. She spent nine years as a client management with Ukrainian brands. Frisson will begin producing its first jigsaw puzzles in Kharkiv by the summer of 2021. This is nine months after Morozenko came up with the idea. The first puzzle was sold for Hr 500 ($12), and featured a mural painted by Viktoriya Lime and Andrii Kovtun, two of Morozenko’s favorite artists in Kyiv. Ksenia Morozenko (L-R), founder of Frisson, holds Frisson products. (Maryna Khmarka/ Frisson)Supporting artistsMorozenko has a list of artists who want to work with Frisson, but she only chooses those involved in charity projects. The company has so far worked with 15 artists to create 22 designs. These include large 500-piece jigsaw puzzles and smaller postcard jigsaws. All of these are made from recycled materials. Many of the artists are well-known in Ukraine, such as the internationally-recognized artist and muralist Waone. The designs are often sold out quickly because they’re limited to 200 pieces. The artists set their own prices, starting at $100. Morozenko pays the artists upfront, especially now that war is uncertain. “You never know,” she said. Frisson has sold more than 3,000 puzzles through its online store, 20 shops in Ukraine, including Kyiv and Odesa. It also has stores in smaller cities such as Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kharkiv. Morozenko also sells jigsaws at artisan markets, and creates pieces on special order for companies. Morozenko wants the work of established artists, who sell their larger puzzles for Hr 700 ($17), to reach a wider audience. The smaller ones are sold for Hr $300 ($7). “The puzzles are accessible to everyone,” said Morozenko. Morozenko has also been contacted by foreign artists who are eager to work with Frisson. She is considering the idea but will only work with artists who are supportive of Ukraine, such as Lithuania, Canada and the U.K. A Ukrainian soldier completes a Frisson with his prosthetic hand, surprising doctors who did not believe it was possible. (Olha Rudnieva/Frisson)Like during the Covid-19 pandemic when puzzles were in high demand, many Ukrainians seek comfort and escape through jigsaws. One of Frisson’s best-selling designs at the beginning of the full invasion featured a group enjoying a picnic. “People bought it as gifts and sent it to friends with a card saying, “Imagine us after our victory. I would sign and customize the postcard,” Morozenko explained. The puzzles also helped veterans. Morozenko, the company’s CEO, says that the puzzles are used to help both mental and physical rehabilitation. The company has partnered with Superhumans Center Lviv in Lviv. One soldier completed the puzzle using his prosthetic arm. This surprised the doctors, who did not believe that it was possible. “I just cried when I saw that,” Morozenko said. At the outbreak of war, Morozenko was forced to shut down the printing operations in Kharkiv because Russian troops were trying to besiege it. She spent two months searching for a new facility. After a tip from a company that makes puzzles, she found one in Lviv. Frisson had puzzles left over from the Kharkiv factory, and started sending 50% of sales proceeds to the Armed Forces. Frisson, which has a collection charity puzzles where half of the proceeds go to NGOs or army, is a company that Morozenko believes should be helping the war effort. The company also sends free jigsaws out to organizations that aid orphaned and displaced children. Morozenko’s puzzles are meant to bring people closer together. Her slogan “Better Together”, proudly printed on every box, is her way of doing this. Morozenko plans to expand beyond the Ukrainian market. After a successful domestic market, she is now preparing to enter the foreign market. Morozenko wants the Ukrainian diaspora to continue to bring Frisson’s products. A hand holding a Frisson product. (Andrey Boyuk/ Frisson). R: Framed Frisson Puzzle. (Yuliia Veselianka / Frisson). She recently won a spot on the UA Global Etsy Start Program alongside 500 other small- and medium-sized Ukrainian companies. The program, which was launched by the Ukrainian Government and USAID will train and mentor businesses on how to open online Etsy shops and open doors to other markets. Morozenko, in addition to jigsaws and coasters, also knits and sells antistress balls, while also signing personalized notes and running between different artisan market. “If they don’t stop, then how could I?” Morozenko said. Frisson transforms peaceful moments into artful experience through its unique jigsaws, created by well-known Ukrainian artist. Frisson offers comfort to Ukrainians in these difficult times, including veterans undergoing rehabilitation. Visit Spend with Ukraine to learn more about companies that are uplifting Ukraine through creativity and innovation. Your support is what fuels resilience and recovery.
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