DONETSK, Ukraine – To the Russians and their separatist allies who control Donetsk, the name “Lviv" ranks right up there with “Stepan Bandera," the controversial 20th century Ukrainian nationalist hero, in evoking hatred of Ukrainian statehood.
Yet, somehow, a
place called the Lviv Handmade Chocolate Café is still doing brisk business in
the separatist-run capital of Donetsk Oblast, which had a pre-war population of 1 million people. It’s not clear, however, if the
café is still part of the larger chain by the same name.
While the signs
and menus remain written in Ukrainian, employees are not allowed to speak
Ukrainian. The place serves the traditional coffee, cakes and chocolate that
have made the chain famous and popular throughout Ukraine and even in two
locations in Poland.
The Donetsk café
is one of the few venues doing well in the war-torn city, despite its Lviv
parentage.
On Sunday
afternoon, March 15, families and couples gathered inside the café. With fighting in
Russia’s war subsiding since the latest Feb. 15 cease-fire, more people are
enjoying their weekends in the center.
A young couple, Vitaliy
Demchenko, a 19-year old mechanic, and his girlfriend Nataliya Vlasov, a
21-year old photographer, were among them. “We just go here for coffee and
cookies. It doesn’t mean that we are loyal to Ukraine. We are loyal to the
coffee,” Demchenko joked.
The Kremlin-backed
authorities long ago removed the Ukrainian language from school curriculums.
And the Lviv
Handmade Chocolate Café, while attracting lots of customers, has experienced
difficulties as well from the separatist government.
“We are one of
few venues that are open now. Considering that we get our goods from western
Ukraine, and are still affiliated with Lviv, these are reasons they keep an eye
on our café,” said Sergey Vytrykush, the assistant café manager. “When we
reopened there have been some negotiations, but I’m not allowed to talk about
what we discussed, I’m afraid.”
The café is
nowhere to be found on the Lviv Handmade Chocolate website, which lists more
than 20 franchise partners in Ukraine and Poland (http://www.chocolate.lviv.ua/en/)
suggesting the Donetsk branch is now operating on its own.
Vytrykush won’t
say.
“I’m just a
manager,” he replied curtly. “We get our goods and serve our customers.”
Outside the
café, in central Donetsk’s Pushkin Park, some Russian-backed separatist
fighters smoke.
“I don’t know
the details, but one of the high ranking officials of our republic prevented
the café from closing down,” said Valeriy, a Kremlin-backed fighter who didn’t
give his name because he is not authorized to speak to journalists. “I don’t
know if I’m allowed to say this.”
The Lviv Handmade
Chocolate Café is, however, unpopular among some Russians and their separatist
allies.
“We never go to
that place. It is against our duty as (Donetsk People’s Republic) soldiers.
Buying coffee means financially supporting fascism in western Ukraine,” Valeriy
explained. “This doesn’t mean that the people drinking coffee there, or working
there, are fascists.”
Café cashier
Valentina Radetsky just wants to work.
“It is nonsense
that people suggest our people from the DNR (separatist republic) wanted to get
rid of Lviv Handmade Chocolate,” she said. “From my point of view it is
absolutely normal that we don’t talk Ukrainian anymore, because many people in
this region don’t understand the language. Also, if we would only speak
Ukrainian to our customers, we might lose customers.”
Because the café
is doing well, it is a popular destination for job seekers. Most of the
employees are students.
“I work three
shifts per week, and besides that I study social work,” Radetsky aid.
One of the job
seekers is Oleg, who thinks that identifying himself will hurt his chances of
getting a job. The café is, however, not hiring now.
“I’ve come back
to Donetsk after living in Crimea for a while during the war. Now it has been
quiet and went back,” Oleg said. “I tried getting my job back at an electronic
store, but the store is still closed.”
For now, Oleg is
enjoying his coffee and eager to find a job as soon as possible.
Kyiv Post contributor Stefan Huijboom is
a Dutch journalist.
