One word outside of an Arlington restaurant has caused so much backlash recently that the owners decided to cover it up.
The sign outside Taste of Europe on Pioneer Parkway reads, "Restaurant and Grocery, Russian gifts." Owner Valentin Tsalko tells NBC 5 he put the word "Russian" on the sign only as a general geographical identifier.
Tsalko says he and his family aren't even Russian, they're from Belarus.
Following Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine that has garnered worldwide condemnation, some people have been leaving nasty messages, both on the phone and online, to Tsalko and his staff.
"They're screaming, saying they hate us and hate our staff, everything we do, and that we should shut down" Taslko told NBC 5.
So Tsalko has covered up the word "Russian" on the sign and adjusted the menu to specify which country each dish originates from.
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