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Olena Kostanyan shows off a tray of pistachio and chocolate macarons, one of the many variations of the classic cookie she bakes. Image by Tom Adkinson

UNION CITY, Tenn. – Most leisure visitors to Northwest Tennessee come for two reasons – to see bald eagles and to catch crappie in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee’s only major lake not created by the Tennessee Valley Authority or the Army Corps of Engineers.

The area’s towns are small, enjoyable, and fairly predictable – until you come across a surprise such as Bakery Bizinka in Union City. This little town with a population of 11,000 isn’t a place you’d expect to find a Ukrainian bakery, but that’s what Bakery Bizinka is.

Raspberries and blueberries adorn the top of a “strawberry cloud,” a meringue roulade with cream cheese frosting, almonds, and fresh fruits. Image by Tom Adkinson

Bakery Bizinka is here because Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, forcing Olena and Konstantin Kostanyan to flee. When they abandoned their dream home in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine after Russian artillery shells began landing, the Kostanyans wouldn’t have put Tennessee on their destination list, but they did more than find a new home in the Volunteer State – they created a business and added to their new hometown’s appeal.

“It was Feb. 24, 2022. We woke up to explosions at 4:40 a.m. My husband said, ‘I think the war has started.’ We fled to the basement and felt the world shaking,” Olena recalled in between greeting customers.

Olena Kostanyan and her father, Mykola Sapyegin, who arrived in the U.S. in 2024, show off a bakery-themed jigsaw puzzle before placement in Bakery Bizinka. Image by Tom Adkinson

They left a city of 1.5 million people and 30 colleges and universities and eventually landed in a small town where the closest university, the University of Tennessee at Martin, is about 15 miles away.

The baguette supply at Bakery Bizinka dwindles through the day, as do supplies of sourdough and challah bread. Image by Tom Adkinson

“It was awful (in Kharkiv). We took our three sons (then ages 3, 8, and 12) and went first to Moldova. Then, it was to Latvia, Italy, and France, trying to find a place to live. We got to Tennessee because my sister had married an American boy from Union City,” Olena explained.

The Kostanyans weren’t bakers in Kharkiv. Olena’s background was in economics and landscape design, while Constantine worked in equipment sales and automobile service and repair. However, Olena fell in love with baguettes during their time in France, and a French baker helped her learn some of the basics of his trade.

Medovik, a layer cake made with honey and sour cream, is one of the international “imports” to Union City at Bakery Bizinka. Photo courtesy Bakery Bizinka

After getting to Tennessee, Olena baked baguettes and sourdough bread for new friends, and those friends convinced her that what was coming out of her oven at home would appeal to the public. Baguettes, sourdough, and challah bread became the calling cards of Bakery Bizinka, named for Olena’s maternal grandmother, after Olena studied production techniques online.

“Bizinka was an angel to my family,” Olena said wistfully.

Nashville-area resident Tony Dolle came to the Reelfoot Lake area to catch fish, but he got lured to Bakery Bizinka for a sweet treat. Image by Tom Adkinson

The Kostanyans took the plunge and opened a brick-and-mortar bakery and sandwich shop. The menu offers traditional deli sandwiches, but Olena’s baked goods are the real appeal.

The three most popular items are “strawberry cloud” (a meringue roulade with cream cheese frosting, almonds and fresh strawberries), medovik (a layer cake made with honey and sour cream popular in countries that were in the Soviet Union) and French macarons in an array of colorful flavors such as raspberry, blueberry, mango, peach, pistachio, caramel, coconut-pecan and Nutella.

Olena has mastered the art of social media marketing with Facebook and Instagram photos and videos showcasing colorful baked goods. She is outgoing in person, so it’s no surprise that some of her videos include joyful dancing in the bakery.

“Bakery Bizinka does great custom baking,” said customer Holly Seng, who works for the University of Tennessee Foundation, recalling a request she made for macarons shaped like tennis balls for a special event. Seng said the finished cookies looked exactly like tennis balls, including a brand name. “The bakery brings a little international flavor to Union City,” Seng said.

Olena quickly put down roots in Northwest Tennessee, but the hard work of starting a business has meant she keeps looking for time to travel the few miles to Reelfoot Lake to see bald eagles and perhaps catch some fish.

“I want to tell you – I love this city. This is a village. I love the people here. If you have a family, you are the richest person in the world,” she said.

Trip-planning resources: Search Bakery Bizinka at Facebook.com and visit DiscoverReelfoot.com for regional visitor information.

(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available at Amazon.com.