Engaging The World Within Our Community

Historical Summer 2025 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

It’s hard to imagine that an 80+ year old woman and recent immigrant would have the comfort level to walk from her Senior citizen’s apartment on Enright near Westgate in University City to a grocery store on the corner of Delmar and Hamilton.

In spite of the reputation of the area, Zinaida Kogan, known as Zina, didn’t hesitate to make that journey to the Courtesy Country Store across from Pete’s Shur Save.

These two grocery stores were the closest options for many living north of Delmar between Union Blvd and the Delmar Loop.

I met Zina Kogan on a Saturday when fresh fish was available at both stores. Zina was short in stature with a large personality and wore a bright handwoven multi-color shawl that caught everyone’s attention.

Her smile was full and genuine when we accidentally bumped into each other in front of the fresh fish bar.

All eyes in the Courtesy Country store were looking at Zina as people wondered who she was and where she came from. Zina was the only white person in the store and spoke with a strong accent and loud voice.

While waiting at the counter in line two darling little Black girls dressed in identical pink and yellow outfits about 5 and 8 years of age left their mother and ran up to Zina with great curiosity and constant giggling. Zina didn’t mind the children touching her shawl and asking her lots of questions. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “Do you have children?” “Why do you talk like that?!” Zina responded to every question with attention and enthusiasm.

When it was her turn to order fish Zina tried to communicate with the attendant, asking for fresh fish that were not scavengers. That was a big ask in a place where catfish and buffalo fish were popular! Between the children touching her shawl and Zina trying to talk with the store clerk about the fish she decided to take off her shawl and strategically wrapped the young girls in it.

The girls were ecstatic and ran looking for their mother with the shawl around them. Zina had just paid for the fish when the mother of the two girls came up to Zina returning the shawl and apologizing for her children’s behavior. Zina was gracious and told the mother not to worry, that she thought the children were very cute and smart.

I shared with Zina how much I appreciated how she handled the little girls and decided to walk with her to Skinker Blvd. leaving my car at the store.

I wanted to talk more with this incredible woman!

I was also probably being a little protective as well. That was the beginning of our wonderful two year relationship.

I learned that Zina was Jewish and from Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine.

She was very proud of her birthplace and would often say that her people were very strong-willed. Zina was a retired teacher who taught Russian literature.

She came to St. Louis to live near her daughter and son-in-law in University City. Over time Zina taught me a little Russian and we talked about the works of Russia’s great writers such as Chekov, Dostoyevsky and Turgenev.

She asked me questions about social justice issues and the experience of African Americans. Zina invited me to dinner at her apartment many times with long talks over bowls of red Borscht with surprising sides like pickled herring , saffron rice and fish dishes.

My time with Zina was remarkable, we often talked about the parallels with the civil rights struggle in Ukraine and Russia.

She questioned why so many African Americans lived in poverty in the city and what we were doing about it.

After a couple of dinners, it became clear to me that Zina did not just want to buy fish at the Courtesy Country store but she wanted to learn more about the African American community and support us in her own way.

The little girls who eventually got to keep Zina’s shawl would often see her over the next two years and called her “Miss Zina!” They learned that she was a teacher and they developed a respect and love for “ Ms. Zina!” Zina died at the age of 90 and I have thought often about her.

I am blessed that she had the audacity to venture to the Courtesy Country Store on Delmar and got to know the black folk of St. Louis.

She gave me an international understanding of how similar our struggles for justice and freedom can be. Seeing the diversity around the Skinker DeBaliviere community is wonderful but engaging with those that are different is a gift that can be life changing.

The two little girls learned to say thank you in Russian “Spa-see-bah” (Phonetic spelling) and learned the differences between Russia and the Ukraine. Over time the community of customers coming to the Courtesy Store and Pete’s Shur Sav could only smile thinking about “what a nice relationship those kids had with Ms. Zina.” Most of the workers and customers were impressed that Zina came to “their store” on a regular basis.

They saw Zina as strong, kind and color-blind.

The Black owner of the Courtesy Country store noted that more people seemed to come to the store when Zina came religiously at 10:00 a.m. every Saturday! Zina’s audacity to come to the stores on the corner of Delmar and Hamilton provided me and many others with fond memories that will last a lifetime. Somewhere out there two sisters and their mother along with many customers and store workers have likely thought about Zina as they hear about the war in Ukraine. Because of Zina they understand that the Ukraine and Russia are different, and that the people of the Ukraine are strong, kind and independent people.

The impact of authentic cross-cultural engagement is incredibly rewarding and our community gives each of us the amazing opportunity to benefit in wonderful unexpected ways.

Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2025.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times2025_06.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.