When it comes to Ukrainians in Minnesota, there are none more famous than the family that makes sausage in Northeast Minneapolis at Kramarczuk’s Sausage and Deli near the intersection of Hennepin and University. It’s been a standard-bearer for Eastern European food since it began in 1954, just a couple of years after Orest Kramarczuk’s grandparents came to the U.S. as refugees from Ukraine.
Now the owner of Kramarczuk’s, Orest says if there is one thing Ukrainians have going for them in their fight for freedom against a Russian invasion, it is soul.
“Our country has a soul,” says Kramarczuk. “Oh my gosh, you know, hamburgers and rock and roll. We have a own jazz and tradition. Our whole tradition is our soul and the Ukrainian people had their own soul, but it was suppressed by the Soviet Union.”
The Kramarczuk’s came from Ukraine at a time following WWII where it was heavily damaged by the war, and it required significant efforts to recover. Then, like many Eastern European countries following the war, it was beset by famine under the regime of Stalin and the U.S.S.R.
Decades of Soviet rule came to an end in 1991 when Ukraine became an independent and Democratic country. Kramarczuk says it was like getting their culture back again.
“It’s not only from the language and the culture, it's to the churches,” he tells WCCO’s Mark Freie. “You know, they had their own churches and all that was suppressed. And finally, in the last 30 years, they got their soul back. They discovered what a great country they were. They’re not anti-Russian, that's the problem. They have a separate soul from the Russian soul. Once they got this, once they got a taste of freedom and democracy, I don't think they understood what democracy was, but they embraced it.”
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Kramarczuk says that he believes this Ukrainian independence threatens Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“When Putin saw this, it was a direct threat to Russia, and he can't stand that,” says Kramarczuk. “He wants his Soviet union back. But I hate to tell him, it's not coming back and this is the worst way to handle it.”
Clearly stating he doesn’t think Russia has long taken advantage of Ukraine, and suppressed its people, Kramarczuk thinks the Russian people will eventually stand up to their president and stop their aggression.
“He (Putin) might win the battle, but he's going to lose the war,” Kramarczuk tells WCCO. “Because no matter what he does, the people in Russia got rid of the Czars, they got rid of the Soviet Union, and they're very patient people, but I don't think they're going to stand for this.”
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