Kerala cafe takes 'Russian Salad' off its menu in solidarity with Ukraine

Kochi art cafe's message says, “In solidarity with people of Ukraine, we have removed ‘Russian salad’ from our menu.” (Image credit: Revathi Hariharan)

As Moscow’s devastating invasion of Ukraine enters Day 9, a café in Kerala has cancelled ‘Russian salad’ from their menu. The Kashi Art Café in Kochi has put out a board outside the establishment that says: “In solidarity with people of Ukraine, we have removed ‘Russian salad’ from our menu.”

A photograph of the announcement is being circulated on social media.

Many have been critical of the café’s move terming it ‘bigotry against Russians’. Several countries have been boycotting Russian products in solidarity with Ukrainians as the war rages.

Stores across US and Canada have boycotted Russian vodka, people were seen on videos emptying out vodka bottles. Several supermarkets have also taken Russian vodka and other products off shelves.

Italy’s main University in Milan has banned teaching Fyodor Dostoevsky because he’s a Russian writer. Several other countries have also banned Dostoevsky – an author who was sent to a Siberian labour camp for reading banned books critical of the Tsar rule in Imperial Russia.

Many expressed displeasure at the growing chain of boycotting everything Russian.

“It's kind of hilarious to see all those "experts" claiming that the Russian people will depose Putin while at the same time backing the biggest Russophobia campaign in history, cancelling everything from Dostoevsky to Russian cats. Don't they see even a tiny disconnect here?” someone asked.

Looks like the world has gone insane. Here, a cafe has canceled Russian salad. As I see it, it’s nothing but bigotry against Russians. pic.twitter.com/Vs2dA48oJs

— VJ (@VJ290481) March 3, 2022

Italy’s main University in Milan just banned teaching Fyodor Dostoevsky because he’s a Russian writer.

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Dostoevsky was sent to a Siberian labour camp for reading banned books in Tsarist Russia.

We are reaching levels of hatred and stupidity that I thought were never possible.

— Alessandra (@alessabocchi) March 2, 2022

Russian Vodka? Cancelledhttps://t.co/eJfwcICYoi

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) March 3, 2022

There has been a fierce clampdown on social media websites in Russia even as thousands of Russians protested against the war by taking to the streets. Several payment apps like Apple Pay has snapped operations in Russia in retaliation leading to serpentine queues outside banks amid an increasing cash crunch and severely hit economy.