Author: Stuart Sudak

A Minnesota man with Russian ties has a message for Americans on what he sees happening in Ukraine. Kirill Bak-Stepanoff and his wife Svetlana Bak-Gavrilova have run the Minnesota Ballet School (formerly known as the Academy of Russian Ballet) in Eden Prairie for 21 years. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, the two live in Chanhassen. “We are Russian, but what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does, this is not Russia,” he said. “It’s just the Putin government doing horrible, horrible things. We are against this war and hope Americans will not hate us because we are Russian.” Bak-Stepanoff said he heard…

Eden Prairie is thousands of miles away from the turmoil in Ukraine. But, Camp Eden Wood provided the setting for many immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, and other countries once part of the former Soviet Union and their families to show unity against the war and give financial and emotional support for the Ukrainian children caught in the crossfire. Russian Camp MN rented the facility Sunday afternoon for its “Kids Against War” fundraiser of food, music, crafts, chess, and camaraderie. Children who attend Russian Camp MN summer camps come from many backgrounds to learn the Russian language and culture. (Camp Eden Wood…

An Eden Prairie woman has started a GoFundMe page for her Ukrainian relatives directly impacted by Russia’s invasion of their country. “The last couple days just don’t feel real,” said Mariya Lysenko, who came to the U.S. from her native Ukraine at age 3 with her mother. “Everyone’s leaving, abandoning their homes, abandoning their life completely.” Lysenko said the donations raised from the page will benefit her aunt Julia, uncle Vologda and their children Vova and Anna. While still in their pajamas, the family fled their home in suburban Kyiv not long after the invasion began in the early morning hours of…

Regina Burstein was born in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. She came to the U.S. with her family, eventually settling in Eden Prairie. Burstein lived in Eden Prairie from ages 6 to 18, moving away for college after graduating from Eden Prairie High School in 2010. Her parents still live here, and she has moved back a few times, too, most recently in 2018. The Minneapolis resident is working on her master’s degree in urban planning at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. After Russia invaded Ukraine last week, I began asking around…

When he heard the news, Anatoliy Mytnik couldn’t sleep. Instead, he stayed glued to the TV in his Eden Prairie home, watching in horror from afar as his native country of Ukraine was being invaded by Russian forces. “It’s like a nightmare,” Mytnik said Friday, still grappling to make sense of Russia’s attack on his homeland. “I couldn’t believe this if somebody told me. It’s really sad and painful for Ukraine.” Born in Kyiv, Mytnik moved to the United States in 2010 and is now an American citizen. “But I love two countries: United States and Ukraine,” said Mytnik, who…

Eden Prairie Community Center personal trainer Carina Smith said consistency is a key to keeping fit all year long. “If we consistently sit, then we will see the appropriate results associated with that,” Smith said. “If we consistently move, then we will see the appropriate results from that, the natural benefit from that.” But, it’s about this time when the steely resolve of those earnest New Year’s resolutions to exercise more or lose some extra pounds are cast aside. Studies show that most people give up on their resolutions by mid-February. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Smith…

Eden Prairie schools will be closed Monday, Feb. 21, in observance of Presidents Day. So, too, will Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road. Federal, state and county offices are also closed. That includes the U.S. Post Office, all Hennepin County libraries, including Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive, and the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services offices. Garbage collection is not affected, and most retailers and restaurants are open. Most banks are closed, though. To learn more about the history of Presidents Day, visit history.com.

For those who enjoy outdoor walks, February is a cruel month. No matter how much you bundle up, it’s never enough. At least that’s my experience as a non-native Minnesotan who would rather buy fish at the grocery store than catch one crouched over a hole in the ice.  But, when the temperatures rise above 20 or so degrees, the sun bright, and the air still, there is nothing better than a walk to calm the mind. The answers to most quandaries I face became clearer when my legs move.  That happened to me on a walk this week around…

Larry Kleven acted like a proud dad every time he saw one of his former pupils around town. No matter how many years passed since they were in his classroom, his wife Grace said Kleven called all of them “his kids.” Before retiring in 1995, Kleven taught math (plus a few years of history) at Central Middle School in Eden Prarie for 35 years. Along the way, he also helped start the Spanish language and wrestling programs in the district. “Boy, did he just love his kids,” Grace said. “He just loved seeing them again. Some came to the house…

When Rod Rue was named the “2021 Engineer of the Year” during last month’s City Engineers Association of Minnesota annual conference, it came as a surprise—at least for him. The Eden Prairie city engineer’s family knew. They were hiding in the back, waiting for the big reveal. His co-workers did, too. He joked that his “boss” Robert Ellis, the city’s public works director, made sure Rue didn’t leave for a bathroom break during the announcement. “It was a little humbling; well, a lot humbling,” Rue said. “I don’t think I deserved it. But it’s voted on by your peers, and…