In Memory of Vlad Kiner, Bement Shoe Hospital

UPDATE: Today the Forest Avenue BID received the sad news that our beloved Vladimir Kiner of Bement Shoe Hospital has passed. Vlad was a sweet and kind man. Vlad's passing is a big loss for our Forest Avenue BID commercial corridor and our West Brighton community family. Vlad leaves behind his wife, 2 sons, a daughter-in-law and a grandson.

The family is eternally grateful for the heartfelt support for Vlad shown by members of the community during this time. At the request of the family, we will be leaving this page up to assist with funeral expenses and financial assistance for his wife. Private services will be held.

In 1989, and with only what they could fit into a suitcase, Vladimir Kiner and his wife fled their home in Odessa, Ukraine which was under Soviet rule. Though they had few physical belongings, Vlad brought the shoemaking skills he learned from his grandfather, working in a shop in Odessa and then managing a factory for a short time. He became an American citizen 5 years after arriving on our shores.

Always an entrepreneur and striving to live “the American dream.” he bought a shop in Brooklyn which he operated for 7 years and in 1997, Vlad took over the Bement Shoe Hospital. Kiner, now 65, has become a fixture of the West Brighton Community. The shoe repair store, at 515 Bement Avenue, offers quality shoe and leather good repair. Some customers have brought back the same shoes to be re-soled for 20 years. This shop, along with social security is the sole support for he and his wife.

Things have changed since he first opened, some 25 years ago, with the pandemic greatly affecting business. Over the last 3 years, more and more people are working from home. This has affected the volume of customers. To withstand this decrease in revenue and in an attempt to stay afloat, Kiner has used up much of the reserve that he had squirreled away all these years.

He recently received a diagnosis of inoperable Pancreatic Cancer and has found that he often has to close his shop when he goes for treatment.