A local Russian restaurant has seen a mix of reactions to them – some positive, some negative – since Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine late last month and shelled its towns, including civilian areas.

To be clear, Cafe St. Petersburg at the Newton Center condemns the attacks, manager Daniel Mataiev said in an interview.

“There was a ton of backlash, but there was also support,” he said. “There are people calling and saying mean things, and we just don’t understand that. Our restaurant has nothing to do with Poutine’s diet. Russian culture is very different from that of Putin’s regime.

“We also had a ton of support,” added Mataiev. “We had a lot of Russians, Ukrainians, pretty much everyone who fled the USSR to come here, come together and show us their support. We feel very united as a community.

Although Boston’s Russian community isn’t huge compared to some other cities — there were just under 17,000 Russian-born people living in Massachusetts in 2019, according to the Migration Policy Institute — Mataiev said the meaning of the community is strong.

The cafe has been serving Russian cuisine for nearly three decades and is a gathering place for people from post-USSR countries in Boston, including Russians and Ukrainians.

The St. Petersburg cafe posted a message from its owner, Mataiev’s mother, earlier in March, expressing the restaurant’s support for those in Ukraine.

“I think I speak for the majority of us when I say we are devastated and condemn the attacks Russia is inflicting on Ukraine,” a Facebook post read. “Unprovoked attacks on a sovereign nation should not be allowed and we hope those responsible will be held accountable. To those in Ukraine, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. »

The post also announced a fundraiser the restaurant plans to hold. Mataiev said the event, which will take place on March 31, is already sold out. They are raising money for a fund that the fencing coach of Mataiev’s sister, who is Ukrainian, has set up.

The restaurant felt called to make a statement as many of the employees, as well as the owners, have ties to Ukraine. Mataiev’s roommate is stuck in Ukraine right now, and his great-aunt is in Russia.

“We have tons of employees here who have family members who are in Ukraine and friends, so we felt the need to get the message out and show that we support Ukraine in these times,” said Matayev. “We also stopped selling Russian products and stopped ordering them.”

The only product that was really affected by their choice not to buy Russian brands was vodka, Mataiev said. Everything else can be of national origin.

The restaurant recently joined OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service, which Mataiev says has helped attract new customers. He also said the restaurant had recently seen many Americans come to try the food.

“We’ve definitely had new customers come in to try the food and just, you know, saying they’ve seen our posts and they know our business shouldn’t be hurt because of what Putin is doing,” he said. he declared.

Mataiev said that as the conflict drags on, he asks people to respect those with concrete ties to the war. He encouraged people to ask how others are doing in the face of grim news.

“Try to be fragile towards the people who are affected by both sides,” Mataiev said. “Russians here in the United States, they don’t want any of that, they literally left the USSR to be here, for freedom. And just like Ukrainians, they just want freedom and they want their country to be leave alone.