Ukrainian WV Eatery Rebrands From Russian Cuisine After Hate Mail

WEST VILLAGE, NY — A West Village restaurant run by a Ukrainian family had to rebrand itself after receiving hateful messages from people thinking they were a Russian eatery despite them having multiple family members in one of the cities hardest hit by Russian forces.

Sveta was opened at 64 Carmine Street in 2019 by the mother-son duo of Svetlana Savchitz and 26-year-old Alan Aguichev.

Upon opening, the natives of Kharkiv, Ukraine, decided to bill themselves as a Russian restaurant, since Americans were more familiar with the country than Ukraine.

“We thought it would be easier to promote ourselves as a modern Russian restaurant, so people have a better understanding of what they’re eating, but the food is the same as Ukraine, the only difference is who is making the food," Aguichev told Patch.

In the first days of the Russian invasion, the West Village eatery began receiving hateful messages.

“We did receive a few hateful emails, saying ‘F Russia’, ‘go back home,’" Aguichev said. "At first it got me angry because we’re not Russian, we’re from Ukraine. On my menu, it doesn’t say anything Russian, but then instead of me getting angry when I received those messages, it was actually kind of a good thing because I got to reply to people, explaining to them what’s actually going on.”

The malicious messages came as the two Ukrainians continued to run the restaurant, while also worrying about their family getting bombed back home.

Savchitz and Aguichev have aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine and it has been devastated by Russian air attacks since the beginning of the invasion on Feb. 24.

Buildings are destroyed, streets are lined with rubble, and families hide in shelters.

“We’re constantly calling them, if they don’t pick up the phone we’re worried, ready to jump on the news right away, ‘oh, did something happen, is that the reason nobody is answering,'” Aguichev said, who had last been back to the city in 2019.

"The first thing that crosses your mind is ‘my country is getting bombed, all of my childhood places don’t exist anymore,'" he added. "I was there two years ago, nothing is there anymore. My whole city is destroyed."

The hate messages pushed Sveta to do some rebranding, removing the term "Modern Russian" from its website and replacing it with "Modern European."

Aguichev said it was an "easy" decision to make to change the branding.

"I don't want people to start thinking the worst and then calling and emailing," he said.

Aguichev made sure to emphasize to Patch that he had many Russian friends and that the problem was with President Vladimir Putin.

"I promise you, no knowing Russian person wants this, it is just the Russian president who wants all the chaos," he said. "I have a lot of Russian friends here, Russian customers, and none of them agree with the war, it is not about being Russian — it is about wanting peace."

As the days continue to go by in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, customers have upped their support of the West Village restaurant.

“As far as people that are actually coming into dine with us, they know we are Ukrainian, they’re just supporting us, it has been really great," Aguichev said with an acknowledgment that slightly more people than usual were coming into the eatery.

Almost the entire Sveta staff is also Ukrainian.

“It is pretty upsetting because they can’t hide their emotions, no one can in these times, so it is upsetting to watch," Aguichev said about his staff. "When you’re busy at work you’re not thinking about anything else, but then when you get that five-minute break, it is the first thing that crosses your mind."

Sveta will donate the entirety of its sales one day this week to causes in Ukraine. Additionally, the restaurant is setting up a GoFundMe to help with relief efforts in the country.