Yuliya and Volodymyr Klymenko, who fled Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion, have opened a café and restaurant named Faino on Pulteney Street in Adelaide to share traditional Ukrainian cuisine and culture with the local community.
Faino, which translates to “done just right” in Ukrainian, opened in July and features a menu comprised of about 90 per cent Ukrainian dishes. Offerings include crêpes with various fillings, dumplings filled with potato or stewed sauerkraut and mushrooms, and borscht—a beetroot soup recognized by UNESCO as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Yuliya noted that sharing food is a primary way to introduce people to their culture.
Before escaping, the couple lived in Lviv, where Yuliya worked as an interior designer and Volodymyr worked in tourism. Although Lviv was considered relatively safe from direct missile strikes due to its western location near Poland, the threat of rapid escalation prompted their departure. Yuliya initially relocated to Adelaide with her two children, Luka and Tereza, in the early stages of the war to stay with an Australian host family, and her husband joined them six months later. Approximately 350 Ukrainians have sought shelter in South Australia since the conflict began.
Alexander Podoroshko, president of the Ukrainian Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry SA, praised the couple for rebuilding their lives and contributing their cultural traditions to South Australia. While the family deeply misses home—particularly during holidays like Christmas—they have embraced Australia as a second home.
State government support for the local Ukrainian community includes funding committed through the Association of Ukrainians in South Australia, supporting initiatives such as the Support of Displaced Persons Project, the National Ukrainian Festival, and the Community Support Programme.
