Ukrainian refugee who resettled in Philadelphia selling homemade pierogies

PHILADELPHIA - A Ukrainian refugee who resettled in Philadelphia is taking her first steps in starting a small business from her kitchen.

It all started when Yana Kozirkova made "vareniki," which many people know as pierogies, for her friend.

"At first, I just wanted to give it to one of my friends to try and she reached out to me and said I can’t just get it for free. I want to pay you for it," said Yulia Kozirkova, Yana’s daughter who helped translate the interview from Russian to English.

Yana said from there the interest snowballed with other neighbors and friends who wanted to purchase Yana’s homemade vareniki.

"A lot of people started reaching out saying they want to support us. "Slavo Ukraine" which is "Glory to Ukraine," and they wanted to support what she was doing," said Yulia.

From the dough to the filling, Yana is making everything from scratch.

"I think Ukrainian food is very beautiful and tasty. There are traditional ones like the potato and onion in it. Americans are asking to add more cheese or spices. If I can cook something Ukrainian, people can get to know our culture better," translated Yulia.

Yana and her family are from Mariupol, which was severely damaged and overtaken by the Russians for several months.

Her husband is in Ukraine working on the chaplain team and delivering humanitarian aid to the front lines.

Yana said the last time she saw her husband in person was a year ago when she left Ukraine.

"So we come from Mariupol City which is not a place you can return to any time soon," said Yulia. "We’re trying to stay brave, to live honestly and see what tomorrow is going to have for us."

The family has been receiving support from local groups including the nonprofit Bridges 2030.

"My favorite by far are the mushroom pierogies," said Fernando Ramirez, Executive Director of Bridges 2030. "She makes them with love and both Yana and Yulia have been amazing to get to know."

Ramirez said Bridges 2030 has done fundraisers for families arriving in Philadelphia and hope to support them thrive, not just survive.

"It’s an incredible journey especially when you’re forcibly displaced. Beyond statistics, they are not just numbers. We want to hear every voice and everyone can do something to help," said Ramirez.

Yulia is also inspired by her mom’s resilience. "I would say the trauma of war that we’ve been through, and it amazes me to see that she can thrive," said Yulia. "I think that’s the biggest motivation for me at this point is just to have one more day and one more day and one more day with the people I love because you never know what tomorrow has for you."

If you’d like to reach out to Yana about her vareniki, you can email her at yanakozirkova@gmail.com or send her a text message at 267-242-6427.