ORANGE CITY—From dill-pickled tomatoes to borscht spice mix, Schedryck is bringing Ukrainian snacks and food to N’West Iowa.

The new store made its debut on June 5 in downtown Orange City.

Owner Nataliia Valianska looks forward to sharing a piece of her childhood home with her new one.

“I’m originally from Ukraine,” Valianska said. “I came here August 2022, so, at the start of the war. I lived a couple months in Spain, and then I came here.”

Valianska lived in Odesa, a Ukrainian city lining the Black Sea called.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, forcing Valianska out of her home. She stayed in Spain with her sister and nieces before she and her husband, Andrii Semchuk, planned on making the United States their new home.

Valianska made it to Iowa in August 2022 although Semchuk was not able to follow until November.

Thankfully, Valianska did not have to travel alone.

Funtik, her Scottish Fold cat, and Sonya, whose breed she does not know as she had found her in the street, stuck by Valianska’s side through some of the hardest parts of the journey.

However, the cats caused some mischief of their own.

“The big problem was because I traveled alone, because my husband came later, I traveled with two cats in one carrier. So, it was difficult because it was heavy, and it hurt,” Valianska said. “When we went through the security, I took them out of the carrier and my one cat, she was scratching me. So, I still have the scratches. But I’m here — with my two cats.”

Once Valianska and Semchuk settled into their home in Orange City and greater Sioux County Ukrainian community, Valianska saw a need she grew passionate about fulfilling.

“The closest shop with Ukrainian food is in Sioux Falls, so it’s far away from here,” she said. “What I was thinking was that we need here Ukrainian and European food because now we have about 150 people from Ukraine here in Sioux County. And I know that most American people like Ukrainian food.”

One of the things Valianska had to learn to live in the United States — let alone start a business — was speaking fluent English. She said she liked to travel around Europe when she lived in Ukraine, for which she knew basic English terms, but using it as a daily language is something Valianska said she is still learning.

Having more than 100 other Ukrainian immigrants alongside her in the community makes that process a little bit easier.

“Most Ukrainian people who live here know each other, and we are friends here,” Valianska said.

Along with providing for the Ukrainian community, Valianska hopes her store will provide something new for outsiders as well.

She is planning a yet-to-be-set tasting day, when Orange City residents and other N’West Iowans can try different Ukrainian foods, so they are not as new and intimidating.

Valianska has big plans to grow even further also.

“I was thinking we need something to do here,” she said. “Maybe in the future we want to make some fresh baking here; maybe I will find some Ukrainians who can bake for our store, and we can sell their stuff.”

With a wide future ahead of Schedryck and endless possibilities, Valianska is still celebrating the little successes.

She anticipates new inventory — including dumplings, sauerkraut varieties and cured cheeses — arriving Thursday, June 20.

The store name Schedryck is based on the Ukrainian song “Shchedryk,” or “Carol of the Bells.” Valianska said the name was fitting for her store since Ukrainians think of “Shchedryk” as a “Ukrainian treasure.”

Schedryck just may become its own treasure to N’West Iowa.

“Living in the U.S., it was my dream,” Valianska said.