About TORBADJA

 

The TORBADJA project currently encompasses several areas of work, one of which is the sale of historical Ukrainian ceramics and household objects.

My wife, Alina, and I run TORBADJA UKRAINE together, sharing different responsibilities. Alina manages the administrative and financial side of the shop. She handles bookkeeping, market research, day-to-day operations, customer communication, and order fulfilment. All our customers know her, while I remain in the shadow of this “star seller” 😊

My work focuses primarily on sourcing objects, photographing them, and working hands-on with ceramics. I also work on developing the shop’s concept, visual identity, and customer communication. In particular, I proposed introducing certificates of authenticity for our ceramic pieces and developed their concept and design, introduced keepsake gifts to make each purchase more personal, and initiated the practice of including personal letters with orders, handwritten by Alina for our customers.

Restoration and Lighting

Another area of my work is hands-on work with historical ceramics. This includes restoring damaged objects where restoration is possible and appropriate, as well as creating original lamps from antique ceramic vessels that are too badly damaged to serve their original purpose.

Restored objects become part of our shop’s inventory. When they are sold, we clearly describe their condition, the nature of any damage, and the restoration work carried out. In my lamp designs, cracks and breaks are not concealed; instead, they become part of a new artistic concept.

TORBADJA Ceramic Aroma System

A separate area of my work is the TORBADJA Ceramic Aroma System, an original system I developed for the sensory exploration of the aromatic properties of historical Ukrainian ceramics.

At its core is the system’s Core Document, which defines its structure, principles, and overall approach to research. The Methodology builds on this document, describing the sequence of investigation, the conditions under which it is conducted, and the rules for documenting observations.

The Aroma Atlas develops from the Methodology and provides a structured description of aromatic profiles, their characteristic features, and possible sources. Another component of the system is the Protocol, designed to record the conditions, observations, and results of each investigation.

Together, these documents form an integrated system that combines methodological principles, a practical research procedure, the classification of aromatic profiles, and the documentation of results.

I continue to develop the system, gather research material, and refine the descriptions of aromatic profiles found in historical Ukrainian ceramics.

I welcome opportunities to collaborate with researchers, museums, cultural institutions, and other specialists interested in historical ceramics, their sensory properties, and new approaches to studying them.

I am also currently working on the TORBADJA website. This is my first experience building a website, so I would appreciate it if you let me know about any errors or issues you encounter while using it.

Continuing the Journey

We keep moving forward, searching every day for new examples of Ukrainian ceramics and refining every stage of our work. I continue to develop the Aroma System, collecting data and organising observations.

Every new order, every restored pot, and every lamp adds another detail to our shared story. There is much ahead of us, from new restoration ideas to the development of a dedicated platform for everyone who cares about Ukrainian heritage.

We invite you to explore the world of historical ceramics with us.