Beloved East Village diner Veselka attracts crowds offering solidarity with Ukrainian people
More than 100 people lined an East Village block Saturday night, waiting to get into Veselka, the iconic Ukrainian diner that has become a focal point for New Yorkers looking for comfort food and community as they gathered to share their fears, concerns for loved ones in Ukraine, and ways to help.
They came from the city and the ‘burbs, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and sporting T-shirts they made touting the bravery of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, whose courage and spirited fighting against an unhinged dictator and impossible odds are inspiring people everywhere.
“I need ammunition, not a ride” — the words Zelensky said when he chose to stay and fight instead of flee — were on T-shirts made by David and Susan, who were giving them away. They declined to give their last name because they still travel to the region and were worried about being targeted. Susan still has family in Ukraine, she told The Post.
“It was just important for us to be here,” said Susan, through tears. “There is very little we can do, but we wanted to be with people and eat the food I grew up with. It has been a difficult time.”
The crowds started coming the day Russia invaded Ukraine. “It’s been like this for days,” a manager said.
“We’re just trying to keep up.” said Jason Birchard, Veselka’s owner and the son of Tom Birchard, who took over Veselka, founded in 1954, from his then-father in law, Wolodymr Darmochwai.
“Many of our staff members are Ukrainian. Everyone is up all night, talking to family members. Some are so distraught, they can’t even come to work. They are hanging by a thread, feeling so angry, upset and helpless,” said Birchard, who has been working 16 hour days since the invasion..
Matthew McDermott
“Everyone is pitching in. Managers are working as cashiers and cooks are working seven days a week,” Birchard added.
Before the pandemic, Veselka was famous for its 24-hour service, a place where late-night club goers sometimes mixed with early morning workers — all looking for such comfort food as pierogis to borscht.
“I’m surprised by the crowds, but then again, I’m not. It’s kind of like we’re everybody’s favorite living room and I am grateful and thankful for that,” Birchard said, adding that the restaurant has always served as a gathering point for the community during times of troubles — including 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, the Orange Revolution of 2005 and Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea.
But during the pandemic, lockdown took its toll. For a time, it seemed that Veselka’s very survival was uncertain. Now it’s back, though not quite at 24-hour service again. There’s even an outpost at the Essex Crossing food market on the Lower East Side, and national orders are sent through Goldbelly.
Tanya, a 29-year-old Ukrainian-born medical technician, came to the restaurant with her partner, James, a 34-year-old pharmacist wrapped in a Ukrainian flag. They, too, did not want to give their last names — but just felt it was “important” to be here.
“And because the food is great,” added James.
“Veselka is a very symbolic, special place. I am still Ukrainian. My heart is always there. I try to support it as much as I can,” said Tanya, whose family is currently in an area “surrounded by lots of Russians and tanks.”
For now, she said the Russian tanks surrounding her family’s home are out of fuel and the “significant bombing” has stopped.
“But it was pretty bad,” she said. “My family is still hiding in basements and the Russians were shooting at a kindergarten while kids were there and some died. My entire family is still in Ukraine, my parents, brother, uncles, aunts and friends.”
Tanya added that she didn’t understand why Ukraine is not part of the EU or NATO. “They have shown that they deserve it,” she said.
Zelensky is also calling for regular people from around the world to come to Ukraine to fight — like the anti-fascist foreign volunteers who made up the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, described in Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls.
American volunteers fought with the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1990s. So far, however, New Yorkers are not gathering at places like Veselka to take up arms themselves — although they are raising money for the Ukrainian military.
“It’s very emotional,” Birchard said. “They are calling for any able-bodied man born in Ukraine to come back and fight. Some of my staff have talked about it. So far, smarter heads have prevailed, but of course I will support them if they go.”
For now, Birchard is vetting what Ukrainian organizations to support.
Razom, a Ukrainian human rights organization, is at the top of his list. Second is the Ukrainian defense ministry, which is raising money to buy weapons.
Birchard’s popular black and white cookies are now in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag and selling out fast.
Susan, who lives in the suburbs, also explained why she felt compelled to dine at Veselka on Saturday.
“We came to Little Ukraine tonight to do something, to show some sort of support for the brave people of Ukraine, she said. “My husband and I printed a dozen shirts with President Zelenskyy’s statement: ‘The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.'”
She continued, “It gave us comfort to pass these out and listen to the stories of others who are worrying about family, friends and humanity. President Zelensky and his people are brave, fighting to live in peace and freedom. We pray this ends quickly, with the outcome of peace and freedom for Ukraine.”
But the people coming to Veselka aren’t just those with Ukrainian ties. They are all New Yorkers.
