Valeria Chenchevaya’s Fire Experiment

Growing up on a remote farm in rural Ukraine may not sound like the most enriching place to spend your childhood; however Valeria Chenchevaya sure knew how to make the most of it. With isolation from civilization and a large plot of land to call home, Valeria Chenchevaya started creating her own ways to keep herself entertained. One of those ways ended up boosting her adult career to levels she had never imagined.

Valeria Chenchevaya always loved to twirl things. Whether it was stalks of wheat or hand shovels, she eased through her farm work by always twirling something in her other hand. She started to experiment with larger gardening tools, and gained a thirst for excitement through the heightened levels of risk. Once the threat of sharp objects and rust no longer frightened her, she decided she would experiment with fire.

First using a broken broomstick and some old oil rags she stole from her father’s barn, Valeria Chenchevaya made her first-ever fire twirling apparatus one night. She tied the rags to each end of the broomstick and lit them on fire. She instantly fell in love with the intense glow from the flame, which tricked the eye as she twirled it quickly and made shapes in front of the night sky. The flame, however, spread quickly and burnt her hand, leaving her to embrace new options.

Further experimenting ensued until Valeria Chenchevaya created her perfect twirler: two cans tied together by a string, each containing a lit charcoal.