A special blue-and-yellow sign, the flag colors of Ukraine, marks Kyiv Street in Springfield, Ore.
Nathan Wilk / KLCC
A street in Springfield, Oregon, has been renamed in honor of the local Ukrainian community.
Last month, the city agreed to rename a block in a residential neighborhood from “Kiev Street” to “Kyiv Street.” Now, a special blue-and-yellow street sign marks the site with the colors of Ukraine’s flag.
The name change brings the street in line with Ukraine’s official English spelling for its capital city, rather than using an older version with Russian origins.
Richard Janowicz, the pastor for the nearby Nativity Ukrainian Catholic Church, said the change was particularly important to the local community following the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He said historically, the U.S.S.R. repressed the Ukrainian language.
“It seems like a small thing just to have a street name changed,” said Janowicz. “But for the Ukrainians in the community, it’s been a real boost in confidence, and a boost in their understanding that people do recognize the need for Ukrainian identity.”
Janowicz said historically, a developer had built the first house in this subdivision in hopes of building a Ukrainian community to the area. Next to Kyiv Street, adjoining Poltava Street also pays tribute to one of Ukraine’s major cities.
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Today, Janowicz said the Nativity Ukrainian Catholic Church sees around 100 people for worship each Sunday.
He said there were already Ukrainian families living in Eugene and Springfield in the early 1900s. He said there’ve been further waves of immigration following World War II, the fall of the Soviet Union, and recently with the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
