Queens small business owner concerned for friends,
family caught in middle of Russian invasion of Ukraine
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
After Russia launched a
full-scale invasion of Ukraine,
Queens business owner Stepan
Rogulskyi, of Maspeth, is
constantly receiving updates
from his friends and family
back home who are caught in
the middle of the war.
Rogulskyi, a native Ukrainian
who immigrated to the
U.S. in 2008 in pursuit of a better
life, owns Varenyk House,
a restaurant located at 67-14
Fresh Pond Rd. in Ridgewood
that serves Ukrainian and
eastern European food. He
told QNS how he tries to stay
in contact with his family multiple
times throughout the day
to make sure they are safe.
“My mother is stressed
right now and when they
turn on the TV it’s only war,”
Rogulskyi said. “She is worried
that anything can happen
at any moment.”
Russian President Vladimir
Putin announced that
he had “decided to conduct a
special military operation” to
protect eastern Ukraine’s Donbas
region, two days after recognizing
the “People’s Republics”
of Donetsk and Luhansk,
also known as the Donbas region,
as independent.
The conflict in eastern
Ukraine started in 2014, according
to the International
Crisis Group, and has killed
over 14,000 people. The war
pits Ukrainian government
forces against Russia-backed
separatists for control over
much of the two heavily industrialized
regions of Donetsk
and Luhansk.
Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has
declared martial law, urging
citizens to not panic as Russia
launches military strikes.
Rogulskyi’s mother, father,
and two brothers reside
in Truskavets in western
Ukraine, while his grandparents
live in a village nearby.
Rogulskyi, whose restaurant
serves Ukrainian and
eastern European food, told
QNS that he hasn’t slept much
since the invasion began, but
wanted to continue working.
“Last night, I only slept two
hours and I came in to work
because I still have a job to do,”
Rogulskyi said.
Rogulskyi checks daily updates
on social media and the
Ukrainian news media’s coverage
on the war.
“Right now, all Russian
TV news coverage is showing
that Ukraine is bombing
themselves,” Rogulskyi said.
“The situation changes very
quickly. One hour, they’re saying
that a small city in one
region is occupied with Russian
troops, and am hearing
an hour later that Ukraine has
defended and took it back.”
During work, Rogulskyi
received prayers and support
from clients who came into
the restaurant. He is asking
for Americans and Russians
to come out and rally against
the war and stand in solidarity
with the people of Ukraine.
“What we have in the U.S.
is human dignity and if they
want to show what they stand
for, which is freedom and human
rights, then they must
do something more than just
sanctions,” Rogulskyi said.
“The Ukrainians will never
agree to any kind of contract
with that killer Putin. We are
not gonna stay on our knees
and we have nothing to lose
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022
The wreckage of an unidentified aircraft that crashed into a house
in a residential area is seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25, 2022.
besides our freedom.”
“The Ukranians’ vision is
changing and we know why we
live, what we want. We want
to build up our country, and
soon the sun will shine over
Ukraine,” Rogulskyi added.
Calling Russia’s invasion
an “unprovoked and unjustified”
attack against Ukraine,
President Joe Biden issued a
statement saying, “President
Putin has chosen a premeditated
war that will bring a
catastrophic loss of life and
Photo by Umit Bektas/REUTERS
human suffering.”
“Russia alone is responsible
for the death and destruction
this attack will bring, and
the United States and its allies
and partners will respond
in a united and divisive way.
The world will hold Russia accountable,”
Biden said.
The president met with
leaders of the G7 Summit
on Feb. 24, and authorized a
new round of sanctions and
limitations in response to
Putin’s war of choice against
Ukraine.
Queens lawmakers have
taken to social media to express
their concern and support
for the Ukrainian community
in the borough and
abroad.
City Council Speaker Adrienne
Adams tweeted, “As we
watch Russia attack Ukraine,
my heart goes out to the Ukrainian
people and our Ukrainian
communities throughout New
York City. All war is heartbreaking,
and this one is already
no different. We stand in
solidarity with our Ukrainian
neighbors and pray for peace.”
After visiting Kyiv and
other areas of Ukraine last
year on a mission trip, Queens
Borough President Donovan
Richards said the “beauty of
the country was matched only
by the strength and kindness
of its people.”
Richards condemned Putin’s
invasion, saying it is
“pointless and heinous.”
“His government must pay
dearly for its attack on its free,
democratic neighbor and the
people of Ukraine. To our Russian
American community in
Queens, we know this is not
your war. We stand with you
against Putin’s violence and
evil,” Richards tweeted.
In a statement, Congressman
Tom Suozzi said Putin’s
illegitimate and unprovoked
attack in Ukraine demands a
united strong response from
the world community.
“Putin cannot be appeased.
We must summon strength.
‘The veneer of civilization is
paper thin. We are its guardians,
and we cannot rest,’ said
Tom Lantos, former member
of Congress and Holocaust
survivor,” Suozzi said.
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng said
she is praying for the people
of Ukraine in their defense of
democracy and freedom.
“Putin’s unprovoked attack
against #Ukraine is outrageous
& we and our allies
must immediately hold him
accountable for this unacceptable
aggression,” Meng
tweeted.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–
4526.
Stepan Rogulskyi is a native Ukrainian who immigrated to the U.S. in 2008 in pursuit of a better life.
He owns a restaurant, Varenyk House, located at 67-14 Fresh Pond Rd., that serves Ukrainian and
eastern European food. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
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