Lyndora Hotel stands with Ukraine, post goes viral
If it’s possible for a social media post to go viral on the local level, Mike Pawk, owner of the Lyndora Hotel, has achieved it.
Pawk posted a photo of himself on the sidewalk in front of the iconic Butler eatery and tavern holding an open, upside-down bottle of Russian-made vodka in each hand.
The clear alcohol freely spilled to the concrete above the words “Our Ukrainian grandparents bought the Lyndora Hotel in 1947. We will no longer serve Russian-made spirits. Our hearts break for the Ukrainian people. We stand with Ukraine,” as Pawk stares down the camera in defiance.
The post made its rounds on Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms, having been shared on Facebook 2,800 times as of Monday evening.
“I was surprised,” Pawk said of the swift dissemination of the post, “but I think the reason it is spreading is that people feel the same way I do. They want to be united with Ukraine.”
Of the 270-plus comments on the post on the Lyndora Hotel’s Facebook page, many were from Butler’s Ukrainian descendants, Lyndora natives and residents and hotel patrons.
“Great move, Lyndora Hotel!,” “Praying for Ukraine,” “God bless you and God bless the people of Ukraine” and, simply, “Perfect” are some of the comments under the post.
Grandfather bought hotel
Pawk’s grandfather, Michael “Ike” Pawk, bought the hotel with his wife, Marie Markiw Pawk, just after World War II and it has remained in the family ever since.
Marie’s father, Michael Markiw, emigrated from Ukraine in 1907 and worked in a pipe mill in Pittsburgh.
“I’m not sure how he made his way to Butler,” Pawk said.
Markiw married Anna, a Polish immigrant, and they worked at her father’s grocery store in Lyndora.
The couple’s daughter and son-in-law, Michael and Marie Markiw Pawk, bought the hotel in 1947. It had been erected in 1902.
“It was built for travelers who came and did business with the steel mill and, eventually, Pullman Standard,” Pawk said.
The Lyndora Hotel has remained in the Pawk family ever since, as Mike Pawk, a local attorney, now owns it with his siblings.
Given his proud Ukrainian background and the unprovoked attack on the country Feb. 21 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pawk made the decision to stop serving spirits that are made in Russia.
“We want to help in some way, shape or form,” Pawk said. “We hope other bars around the country and world will also stop serving Russian spirits.”
He said he only stocked a handful of Russian-made vodkas and dumped about five bottles last week.
Symbolic move
“It’s more symbolic than anything,” Pawk said. “I was just so upset about what I’ve been witnessing in Ukraine, and the people have been so brave and fighting.
“We stand with them, like so many people in the world.”
He said another reason for his decision is the rich history of the neighborhood surrounding the hotel, which has been home to so many ethnic families through the generations.
“There are a lot of Ukrainians in Lyndora, and, I don’t know, it just hit me,” Pawk said. “To the extent that it raised any awareness, I’m happy about that.”
He said most of the most popular vodka brands are not made in Russia and will continue to be served at the Lyndora Hotel.
Pawk is searching for Ukrainian-made spirits to sell in place of the Russian-made selections now languishing in the sewer system.
“If I can find them, we are going to buy those and donate the sales of Ukrainian vodka to some relief fund for the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Pawk believes the people of Butler County, who have supported the Lyndora Hotel for more than 60 years, are united in their support of Ukraine and its people.
“I think people are moved by what they are witnessing,” he said.
