"Mrenzi" is the family's wish February 21 11:23

“My family was torn apart by the invasion. Life in a foreign country was uneasy.At that time, I remembered that there was a food that brought us together.

This is our family's hope to carry in the kitchen car.

”

A kitchen car that sells “taste of the homeland” in Shiga

In early February this year, she was near Hikone Castle, a national treasure in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture.

Irina Yaborska (51).

She sells the national cuisine of her homeland Ukraine in her kitchen car.

He moves briskly in the narrow kitchen, expertly wrapping the food and handing it to the customer.

I came to Japan in March last year, and I am learning Japanese little by little.

I say ``thank you, see you'' in Japanese to the customer who bought it and see them off.

That gentle smile is impressive.

"Mrenzi" like a crepe

Ms. Irina provides "Murentzi".

A crepe-like food that is loved in Ukrainian households.

Depending on what you put inside, such as cheese, salmon, or chicken, you can enjoy a variety of flavors.

You can easily eat it as a snack or as a light meal.

Irina bakes each one by hand.

It seems that there are days when there are many days when about 500 can be sold.

Since around November last year, when the cold weather has become severe, we have been selling borscht, a soup made with beets, which is popular in Ukraine, and sweets.

The Russian invasion changed lives

Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

Until a year ago, Irina lived alone with her husband, Roman, and her mother, Galina.

However, in February last year, a military invasion by Russia began.

Missile attacks also hit the pharmaceutical company where Irina worked.

In addition, the building next to Irina's home was also damaged.

The impact also shattered the windows of my house, and I finally decided to evacuate.

"I'm sorry. I'll ask the wives for a while."

However, her husband Roman cannot evacuate.

This is because, in principle, adult men are not allowed to travel abroad due to the strengthening of Ukraine's defense system.

Irina took her 80-year-old mother, Galina, by the hand as she left her familiar city.

She boarded a train crowded with evacuees and traveled to Lviv in the west.

She then fled to neighboring Poland.

However, prices were high, and I was at a loss as to how long I would be able to stay.

It was Irina's daughter, Katerina, who tried to bring the two of them to far away Japan.

She married her Japanese husband, Takashi Kikuchi, in 2018, and she lived in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture.

After learning that the Japanese government was accepting refugees from Ukraine, Takashi and his colleagues rushed to complete the necessary procedures.

I look back on those days.

Mr. Takashi Kikuchi

"Mr. Roman called me and said, 'Takashi-kun, I'm sorry. I'll ask my wives for a while.' Based on the decision that Mr. Roman may never see his family again, Irina and Galina My eyes got hot when I thought that I had sent Mr.

Healed by Lake Biwa

In late March last year, Irina and Galina arrived safely in Hikone City.

It is the first time for both of us to come to Japan.

More than two weeks had passed since I left my home in Kharkiv.

Irina, who was unable to sleep satisfactorily during the invasion of Ukraine.

After she arrived in Japan, she was able to sleep a little more calmly.

She said that taking a walk along the shores of Lake Biwa helped her relieve her stress.

Irina:

“At first, I was under a lot of stress from the attacks in Ukraine, but now I feel much better.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Two people who began to get used to life in Japan little by little.

As for the place to live, Shiga Prefecture provided a lodging space at the prefecture's international exchange facility.

The encouragement and support received from the Japanese people made Irina think, "Is there something I can do to give back?"

However, Irina, who cannot speak Japanese, is limited in what she can do.

"I'm really grateful for the support from the Japanese people, but I'm sorry if I just ask them to do it," Irina began to think.

"Murentzi" who became a bridge

At that time, after talking with my family, I came up with the idea of ​​Irina's specialty dish "Murentsi".

Before getting married, Takashi visited Katerina's family home in Ukraine.

Irina, who cannot speak Japanese, and Takashi, who cannot speak Ukrainian or Russian.

In fact, it was Irina's "Mlenzi" that brought the two closer together and opened their hearts to each other.

Takashi:

“I couldn’t communicate with my mother (Irina) verbally, but when I was given Murenzi to eat, I thought, ‘Oh, you are a very kind person,’ and I could feel the love. It has become a kind of bridge for non-verbal communication.”

I decided to use a kitchen car to sell Murenzi.

I wanted to convey my gratitude to the Japanese people, and I wanted to connect with them and blend into Japanese life.

With the help of Mr. Kikuchi and others, we collected donations for the cost of buying a kitchen car through crowdfunding.

In just one month, more than $500,000 was raised.

In this way, we were able to welcome the opening in July last year.

By the way, at that time they were not called "murentsy", but "brinchki".

"Mrentsy" is the Ukrainian name, and "Brinchiki" is the Russian name.

Irina, who lived near the Russian border in eastern Ukraine, speaks both Russian and Ukrainian.

In his family, he called him "Brinchiki".

On the other hand, after the sales started, a Ukrainian living in Japan pointed out that it would be better to call it in Ukrainian rather than Russian.

After consulting with my family, I now sell it as "Murenzi".

I want to help Ukrainian refugees in the same situation

The Kitchen car that started with the hope of the family.

Word quickly spread, partly because of his interest in the situation in Ukraine.

At first, it was only sold in Hikone City, but we started receiving calls from events in various parts of the Kansai region.

Irina and her colleagues have the following goals:

It was to help other Ukrainian refugees in Japan.

In August last year, the second kitchen car shop was opened in Tokyo.

In an urban area with many evacuees, the idea was to provide evacuees in similar circumstances with opportunities to work and socialize.

Katerina met the evacuees she works with through social media.

The two employees, who started working for the first time in August last year, had no family or relatives in Japan and were struggling to find work.

Two employees

: "I had a job, but it was a job that didn't require Japanese, like transporting goods in a factory. However, I was recommended a job related to Ukrainian cuisine, so I chose this job.

" I want to deepen exchanges with people from all over the world and spread Ukrainian cuisine.”

Ms. Irina hoped that the kitchen car would serve as an opportunity for other evacuees to become more positive.

Irina:

“I want many people to like Ukrainian food, and in the future, I want to be able to hire more Ukrainian evacuees.”

Anxiety grows about kitchen car trouble and husband in Ukraine

Yasaki, who seemed to be on track with the kitchen car, has trouble.

In October last year, there was an accident in which the kitchen car overturned on the highway on which Takashi was heading from Tokyo to Shiga Prefecture.

Fortunately, Mr. Takashi was not injured, but after this, the kitchen car in Tokyo had to be closed.

Sales of food trucks in Kansai also declined in winter.

This is because there are fewer events where many people gather compared to summer, and the number of visitors has decreased significantly.

Irina, who never stopped smiling in the kitchen car, was growing anxious inside.

One thing I can't get out of my head is Roman, who stays in Ukraine.

In eastern Ukraine, where Mr. Roman lives alone, it is said that attacks by the Russian military aimed at power plants and other sites intensified at the end of last year.

Due to the poor communication environment, it became difficult for Irina to get in touch with Roman, and she became mentally unstable.

Roman's face on the video call screen was more tense and wrinkled than before.

Irina:

"I've been feeling uneasy for a long time. My heart aches when I learn about the terrible events in Ukraine. I don't know when the war will end, but I want it to end."

A certain "plan" meets the family's wishes

Even though one year has passed since the invasion, the situation in Ukraine is uncertain.

Still, Irina and her family never give up looking forward.

It is said that it is because there is a certain "plan" that is based on the heart.

That is to invite Mr. Roman and live in Japan with the whole family.

Currently, adult men are restricted from traveling abroad, but once the fighting is over, they would like to open a Ukrainian restaurant in Hikone.

On February 3rd, I was able to have a video call with Mr. Roman for the first time in over a month.

The whole family discussed the image of the new restaurant.

Mr. Roman, who worked as a cook on a large cargo ship when he was young, enthusiastically said, "I want to offer a mix of Ukrainian and Japanese cuisine."

The kitchen car is "a big part of my life"

A life-changing invasion.

It will soon be a year since he evacuated to Shiga Prefecture.

Irina and her family look back on this.

Mr. Takashi

“When I actually started the kitchen car, the mother (Irina) and the customers were able to communicate freely, and from there various smiles and rewards were born. I think it's a way to communicate each other's feelings through food.To be honest, there are many things that are difficult, but more than that, I feel that I'm doing something worth doing. We take pride in what we do.”

Irina:

“Since I came to Hikone, many people have supported me, and many customers have spoken kindly to me. By opening a restaurant, I would like to offer many types of Ukrainian cuisine in Hikone.I want to start working together with my family in a peaceful situation."

Through about a year of coverage

After covering Irina for about a year, what left an impression on me was how she always greeted us, the crew, with a bright smile.

I can only imagine the anxiety and hardships of living in a faraway foreign country while your loved ones are being attacked on a daily basis.

But even so, Irina and her family, who are trying to live positively, seem to be filled with the determination that "we can resist this war in this situation."

Irina's family is asking for donations through crowdfunding to move forward with the plan to invite Roman to open a restaurant in Hikone.

Irina's "Murentzi" is slightly thicker than crepe, but has a chewy texture and is characterized by a faint sweetness.

I want the day when Irina and her family can live together as soon as possible.

And I hope that the day will come when many people will love the Ukrainian cuisine that her husband, Roman, makes at a restaurant in Hikone.

Reporter, Otsu Broadcasting Station

Yuki Takenaka Joined the

station in 2009

After working at the Mito station, the Saga station, and the sports news department, from 2020 at the Otsu station