Among the nearly 300,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine for the Czech Republic following the Russian invasion is celebrity chef Olga Martynovska, who came to Prague with her six-year-old daughter. Martynovska has been both a winner and juror on MasterChef Ukraine, a localized version of the popular competitive cooking TV show.

Martynovska brought her trade with her to the Czech capital. Yesterday, she was serving borscht and other Ukrainian delicacies at the popular farmers market at Prague's Náplavka embankment, and raising funds to help those in need back home.

The chef's stand at Náplavka featured a Ukrainian flag, and saw long queues throughout the day. Most visitors were not aware of Martynovska's culinary status, but were eager to sample some authentic Ukrainian dishes.

"People are most interested in borscht, pierogies with cherries or poppy seeds, and honey cake," Martynovska told journalists at the farmers market yesterday, adding that she appreciated the warm reception felt by Ukrainians coming to the Czech Republic.

"We are so happy about how they care for us here, and that we don’t feel like uninvited guests."