As the number of Ukrainians who call Calgary home has rapidly increased on account of the war with Russia, so, too, have the number of local Ukrainian businesses. There are business groups, book clubs, dance studios, even a Ukrainian-language theatre company (Alter Ego Theatre). While many of these cater specifically to newly-arrived Ukrainians, there are some that seek to serve the broader Calgary community. So, if you’ve been in search of authentic Ukrainian ‘varenyky’ (i.e. ‘pierogi’ to use the Polish term) or a finely-embroidered blouse worthy of a Ukrainian dance troupe, there are now places right here in Calgary where you can find them.

Be Brave

1018 – 9^th Avenue S.E.

Most Calgary business owners don’t have to worry their next product shipment will be destroyed by rockets dropping from the sky. But that’s exactly what happened to the order of books Yana Kubenko was importing from Kharkiv, Ukraine for her Inglewood store, Be Brave.

“Our package was destroyed by a bomb. They never know when they can send it, or when it will be safe,” sighs Kubenko, whose store, which opened in 2024, offers a large selection of Ukrainian-made fashion and home goods.

Kubenko emigrated to Canada with her husband and two young children in 2022. They had a home in Kyiv, right near an army field station. “There were a lot of rockets nearby. We left our families, our business and our house behind, all for our children,” Kubenko says.

“When we came to Canada, people would say to me, while standing in a lineup, ‘I like your shoes, I like your dress. Where can I get it?’ After hundreds of questions, I wrote my friends in Ukraine who are designers and thought about how to bring Ukrainian brands here to Calgary,” Kubenko recalls.

And Be Brave was born. The store has now grown from offering one line of Ukrainian-made scarves to a more than 50 lines, ranging from blouses and faux-fur coats to ceramics and perfume.

“Everything is made in Ukraine,” Kubenko says, adding she also test drives the products to make sure they are of sufficient quality.

“I created my business to support Ukrainian brands and to support Ukraine’s economy,” Kubenko says.

While most of her initial customers were Ukrainian transplants who appreciated “the bridge from our home to here,” Kubenko says her customer base has since expanded to include Calgarians of all backgrounds who want to support Ukraine and who appreciate the unique nature of her offerings.

Among Kubenko’s best-selling items are blouses with Ukrainian history literally embroidered on them, along with needlework homages to the Ukrainians who are fighting to maintain their borders.

Body-care products and luxurious silk scarves also make their way on to the store’s bestseller list.

In addition to her storefront, Kubenko takes the products she represents to various gift shows across Canada.

Kubenko says the name “Be Brave” is a nod to both the courage it took for her to start a new business in a new country, as well as to the bravery of all the Ukrainians who find themselves starting anew in Canada.

 

Multicook Calgary

#1 625-77^th Avenue S.E.

If you have a craving for pierogis just like your Baba made, look no further than Multicook Calgary, located opposite the South Calgary Farmer’s Market. It’s difficult to miss with the giant, inflatable matryoshka doll greeting customers from the boulevard.

Multicook Calgary is the business baby of Mariia Fomichov, who arrived in Canada from Ukraine four years ago.

The store offers an extensive selection of homemade, Ukrainian frozen foods, along with a select number of imported, jarred goods from Ukraine and Georgia.

Ninety-five percent of the store’s products are made in Multicook’s open kitchen, in which customers are welcome to watch the food in its preparation stage. The cooks are all newly-arrived Ukrainians, some of them bringing years of chef experience with them. “We try to make food with a soul,” Fomichov says, adding that the products are all natural and don’t contain preservatives.

Not surprisingly, Multicook Calgary offers a wide selection of homemade pierogis, some fifteen varieties in fact. Fomichov says while Canadians like those with a cheese-and-potato filling, she says those don’t exist in Ukraine. Multicook’s top-selling pierogi is the more uncommon (to Canadians) sour-cherry variety. While Ukrainians eat these with butter and / or sour cream, Fomichov says Canadians have introduced ice cream into the mix.

One can also purchase such Ukrainian favourites as borscht (beet soup), cabbage rolls, crepes, cottage-cheese pancakes, and pelmeni (dumplings) at Multicook.

Fomichov says she has encountered some unexpected challenges in offering traditional Ukrainian cuisine to her customers. For example, she estimates that twenty percent of Multicook’s products contain dry cottage cheese, something not readily available in most Canadian grocery stores.

Furthermore, she says, the cabbage common in Canada is crunchier than the cabbage she uses in the Ukraine to make the ubiquitous cabbage rolls. As such, she had to search a long time to source a supplier of softer cabbage. And, she says, the kitchen adjusts traditional recipes to accommodate Canada’s sweeter sugar.

Like Be Brave, Fomichov says Multicook’s initial customers were newly-arrived Ukrainians or descendants of Ukrainian settlers to Alberta who wanted to connect with their culinary heritage. Now, however, she says the word is getting out to the broader Calgary community.

“This is our way of saying ‘thank you.’ We’re trying to show Canadians we can be a part of your society,” Fomichov concludes.

 

Art Calgary

If you are interested in dabbling in the realm of arts and crafts in a no-pressure environment, you might consider contacting Valeriia Dubovyk, founder of Art Calgary.

Originally trained as a graphic designer in Ukraine, Dubovyk has been in Canada for several years now.

Through Art Calgary, she offers a variety of art workshops, creative classes for children and adults, private events, and seasonal themed activities. Think a floral painting workshop on a linen base or creative birthday workshops that might involve anything from candle making to flower-pot decorating.

“My goal is to make art enjoyable and accessible for everyone,” says Dubovyk.

“I wanted to create a warm and welcoming space where people could relax, express themselves creatively, and connect with others through art. Moving to Canada inspired me to build a community through creativity,” she adds.

Like her fellow Ukrainian business owners, Dubovky says her main challenge was “starting everything from the beginning in a new country — building connections and understanding the system.”

For more information on Art Calgary’s classes and upcoming events, visit Dubovyk’s Instagram page at art_calgary.

Kathleen Renne