Yurii Kovryzhenko, a “culinary ambassador” for Ukraine, and his partner, Olga Tsybytovska, have been in London since February, when they were stranded during a 10-day trip from Kyiv for an event at the Ukrainian embassy after the Russian invasion. They ended up staying in an embassy flat in Holland Park for two months. Since then, they have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Ukraine through events with chefs including Jamie Oliver, Jason Atherton and Tom Kitchin. Now they plan to open their own restaurant, Mriya (meaning dream), in London, where, in addition to modern Ukrainian cuisine, they hope to act as a showcase for Ukrainian art and culture. Kovryzhenko, 39, who before the war had several TV and radio shows in Ukraine, where he is a celebrity chef and a leading figure in the slow food movement, said their role is “culinary diplomacy”. “Food is the greatest power in the world. It could be the guns and it could be the weapon,” he added. The name of the restaurant, near Earl’s Court, was inspired by collective dreams of ending the war and the personal dreams of Ukrainians. It is also the name of the world’s largest aircraft, built in Ukraine, which was destroyed at the Antonov airfield near Kyiv in the first weeks of the war. In addition to classic dishes such as borscht, they will serve golubtsi (cabbage rolls) made from zucchini flowers, kabachkovi oladky (zucchini pancakes) served with straciatella or cream cheese instead of traditional sour cream. They are also thinking of creating a Ukrainian barbecue with grilled meat. The bar will serve Ukrainian wine and infused vodkas, and will offer food and vodka pairings. The building also has a dedicated fermentation room. Ukrainian designers are coming this week to install clay walls and natural materials and plan to use Ukrainian furniture. Mriya’s take on the stock market. The restaurant will serve classic and modern Ukrainian food and will be staffed by refugees from Ukraine. Photo: Linda Nylind/The Guardian “We want this space to be like a cultural embassy of Ukraine in the UK,” said Tsybytovska, 33, who previously worked in culinary tourism. “To be like a representative of our country here. We want to fill it with Ukrainian energy, including people and art and food, taste, everything.” They had heard from others in the hospitality industry that they might struggle to find staff after Brexit. But since advertising chefs, waiters, bartenders and porters on social media, they’ve had hundreds of applications from Ukrainian refugees. Many candidates used to do highly skilled jobs that they cannot do in the UK because their qualifications are not transferable. “Some of the stories I read were horrific,” Kovryzhenko said. “People who were teachers, doctors, had doctorates from university, are now looking for work as porters in a kitchen.” For many, English language skills are a problem, he added, and the time it takes for refugees to receive their official documents from the UK government. He called for more restaurants and hotels to hire Ukrainian refugees. Kovryzhenko has previously worked in Georgia, France, Korea and Lviv, where he ran a high-end restaurant Vintage Noveau. “I will try to combine the best of different cultures and use the Ukrainian heritage as a base,” he said. At first, when the war broke out, they felt guilty that they were safe in London while their friends were hiding in shelters and stuck in heavy traffic outside Ukraine, they said. But they soon realized they could be more effective by helping from the UK. “We realized that we can be very useful by doing fundraising events, to promote our culture, to raise money,” Tsybytovska said. “I know it would be a great tragedy for my family [in Ukraine] if I decided to come back. The only thing that gives them hope and strength is knowing that I’m in a safe place.” If the project is successful, they plan to open more restaurants and social spaces in the UK involving Ukrainians, they said. Against the landscape of war, food is a way to talk about and celebrate their culture, Tsybytovska said, as well as introduce it to people in Britain. “Ukraine is in the center of Europe. It has a very rich, long history, but no one here knows what Ukrainian cuisine is,” he said. “Food for us is a tool to draw attention to Ukraine and talk about our culture. It is also an instrument that connects us to home.”
