Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has changed the labelling of its own brand Chicken Kievs to Chicken Kyiv to reflect its true name in Ukrainian spelling to align with the nation’s capital city and show solidarity with its people.

For the next four weeks, the supermarket will donate 50 cents from each pack sold to the Australian Red Cross Ukrainian Crisis Appeal. Woolworths hopes to raise more than $100,000. 

“The name change will be made immediately online, and will gradually roll out to our own brand products and signage in-store in the coming weeks,” said a Woolworths spokesperson. 

Chairman of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Stefan Romaniw welcomed the name change, saying it showed respect for Australian Ukrainians.

“Ukraine has its own language, its own culture, its own history. That’s why using the Russian spelling for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in ‘Chicken Kiev’ has always offended Ukrainians,” he added.

He has further called for all Australian businesses to incorporate socially responsible values into their business operations.