The giraffe women of Burma Members of the Kayan tribe 'stretch' their necks with heavy brass rings

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• published: 30 Aug 2016
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The giraffe women of Burma: Members of the Kayan tribe 'stretch' their necks with heavy brass rings as a sign of beauty and status Photographer Dmytro Ghilitukha has photographed Kayan women They wear brass coils around their necks that make the necks appear long Kayah state was until recently closed to outsiders, opening to tourists in 2014 These stunning photos offer an intimate look at the lives and culture of eastern Burma's long-necked women. The Kayan women, of Kayah state, 'stretch' their necks with brass rings as an elongated neck is a sign of beauty in Kayan culture and have been nicknamed 'giraffe' women as a result. While the brass coils make the women's necks appear long, in reality the weight of the rings pushes down the muscles around the collarbone and compresses the rib cage - meaning their necks appear longer than they are. Kayah state was until recently closed to outsiders, opening to tourists in 2014. And this remarkable series of shots from photographer Dmytro Gilitukha, from Ukraine, taken on 25 May 2016 in Pan Pet, offer an up-close look at the daily lives of the Kayan women. The 28-year-old, from Ukraine, feels the photos capture the incredible diversity of cultures around the world and their beauty. Dmytro said: 'Woman of the tribe wear a coil of brass rings around their necks from early age. The neck rings are very heavy which is why collarbones and ribs goes down and starts deformation. 'It gives an optical illusion of an elongated neck. Some people think that without the rings, the neck would break but this is not true. 'We saw one woman who had removed her rings and she feels good. After three weeks the neck returns to its normal condition. 'There are several theories why women wear the neck rings. The main reason is to differentiate themselves from other minorities. 'It is also their vision of beauty and social ranking. 'And our guide said it's possible that in the past neck rings had a protective role from wild tigers in the mountain territory. 'Women remained at home while men went hunting in the forest and sometimes wild animals would come to the village and attack people. 'So if a tiger bites a woman's or child's neck they can survive. Nowadays no one remembers real reason but people still follow the tradition in some villages. 'It's an amazing thing to see because it is so rare for a tribe to hold onto their traditions. Most places have incorporated modern beauty standards but not the Kayan women. 'As a European man it is an incredibly unusual sight to behold but beautiful in its own right because it is so fascinating exploring another culture.. 'As hard as you try, a camera can only ever partially capture that wonder.' Seeing the village first hand was impossible until just two years ago as the tribe was involved in a long-standing struggle with a military regime - and faced persecution for such cultural symbols. And while it is a bit off the beaten track, Dmytro highly recommends anyone visiting the villages of the Kayan tribe with the help of a local guide. Dmytro said: 'There aren't any roads to Pan Pet and hearing about it in a standard tourist guide in hard but ask the locals and they'll get you there. 'The village is very rural and bursting with character. Children run around naked or in colourful handmade clothes. 'The people are so laid back and welcoming. They are more than happy to discuss their way of living with a local guide who can translate for you. 'We saw them crushing beetles to eat - apparently they taste sweet - and music filled the air as a woman sat playing a handcrafted three string guitar. 'I feel so lucky to have been somewhere so rarely explored and to have been exposed to such an interesting culture - it's something I've never seen before.' Giving up his job as a university lecturer six months ago, Dmytro went to travel with his partner Nina Lischuk, 27, and become a full-time photographer. After starting taking photos just five years ago when he found an old SLR Zenit-19 camera at a flea market, Dmytro discovered that photography made him feel 'magic'. He now specialises in travel photography and hops from place to place trying to capture the lives of local people across the world. Dmytro said: 'I started out taking photos on film with the old portrait lens camera I had found at a flea market.