At Cork Migrant Centre, Nano Nagle Place, we offer free English classes that empower migrants to build language skills, confidence, and community. Leonid Dobrianskyi’s personal story is a powerful example of how far learners can go with determination and support. After dedicating years to learning English, Leonid is now able to share his journey and a special story with us, and we are deeply grateful for his openness. Special thanks to our Cork ETB funded English teacher, Fabrice, whose guidance has played a pivotal role in helping Leonid and many others achieve their goals.
Of dreams and reality by Leonid Dobrianskyi
More than two years have passed since I have been learning English at the Migrant Centre at Nano Nagle Place in Cork. It is an old Catholic convent, which is more than 250 years old. I’m now close to making my old dream come true – to speak English fluently. I had done four previous courses in the past at home in Ukraine but every time I had struggled due to lack of speaking practice. Our English tutor Fabrice Fortune teaches us English, as well as singing in English which helps us improve our pronunciation and immerse ourselves in the new cultural environment of Cork. But now, I would like to tell you a story about another dream of mine, which also came true here at Nano Nagle Place.
Family story
My grandfather Petro Potapenko was born in the village of Voloske in the region of Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine. The village lies 20 km south of the large city of Dnipro. My grandfather was enlisted in the army and took part in many battles of WWI. He was enrolled in the Russian Empire’s Expedition Corpus which travelled around the world before it arrived in Marseilles. He and other Ukrainian soldiers fought together with their French counterparts against the German army. One of them was his childhood friend Stephan Morar. The journey took them inland from their native village of Voloske through the cities of Dnipro, Moscow, Irkutsk (Military training camp) and Port Arthur. Then, there was the sea route: Port Arthur, the Yellow sea, Singapore, Colombo, Mumbai, the Red Sea, Port Said and finally Marseilles. A lot of Ukrainians from Voloske and other places in Ukraine were involved in that military expedition. My grandfather was wounded in the leg during the ferocious battle of the Somme in 1916 in France, and spent a lot of time in hospital recovering from his injuries in Paris and Montpellier. After a long convalescence, he finally came home to Voloske in March 1917. At the same time his friend Stephan Morar remained in France. Needless to say, these events had a huge impact on my grandfather as he was only 20 years old. Much later he used to tell us, his grandchildren, a lot about his youth, about his trip to France, the War and other thrilling stories. This equally left a huge impression on us.
The book
When I became a student I was interested in the history of my family. I wrote down a few stories that I had heard from my grandfather Petro, my grandmother Vekla and other relatives. Some of them wrote their memoirs themselves. I collected all of this material together and published a book entitled “I hear your voice” in 2008 with famous Ukrainian historians Jury Mytsyk and Mykola Chaban who co-authored the book. Both of them were also born in the village. However, many details about my grandfather’s trip to France were still unknown to me. l was especially curious about the destiny of a friend of his called Stephan Morar who had remained in France after the war. My grandfather had died many years ago, but this side of his life, as a part of our family story, still hadn’t revealed itself.
The war
The years have passed. I’m retired and became a grandfather myself. Ukraine was more than thirty years independent but unfortunately war began again. The Russian army invaded and occupied our lands and cities. Mass killings of civilians began. Missile bombardments were carried out on all cities of Ukraine. I had to leave my home and moved with my wife Olga and my daughter Nadia to Ireland. We ended up living in Cork City. After five months, my wife died unexpectedly. Our daughter Nadia did her Phd in history and I began to attend English classes in Nano Nagle Place and started to write a book about Ukrainian refugees in Cork.
Two attempts
There were a lot of different activities I was involved in – besides the diligent study of English, I took part in long distance running with Sanctuary Runners, I sang in the Ukrainian Choir Kalyna and recorded the stories of Ukrainian refugees in order to publish a book. All these things helped me to overcome the stress of losing Olga. Slowly, day by day, l returned to collecting materials about the history of my family and I went back to the story of my grandfather and his friend Stephan. I had in my possession an envelope with Stephan’s French address on it. I wrote my first letter in English and sent it to Paris at that address. There was no answer. After that, I had to carefully plan what I would do next. I started a correspondence with Stephan Morar’s relatives, Inna Morar and Volodymyr Morar, who were living in Dnipro. They managed to find in the archive papers of their family a new address in France where Stephen Morar’s family lived. I proceeded to write another letter in English and my English teacher Fabrice, who happens to be a Frenchman, translated it into French. I posted the letter from the General Post Office in Cork with great anticipation.
Godsend
After a month and a half, I received an email from Oliver Morar, Stephen Morar’s grandson, which I eagerly opened. Oliver is 61 years old and has been living in Portugal, meaning that his visits to France are quite rare. He was thrilled to receive my letter and to my great surprise, even offered me excerpts of a book that his mother Maria had written about her father Stephan Morar: it told his story as a soldier in the First World War, his friendship with my grandfather and his life in France. The name of the book in French was “De Ekaterynoslav à Deuil-La-Barre” (From Ekaterynoslav to Deuil-La-Barre), Ekaterynoslav being the old name of modern Dnipro. There were a lot of details about the life of Stephan up to 1930, his long trip from Ukraine to France and a soldier’s life in the trenches. When I first began this venture, I had never imagined this could have happened: not only had I found my grandfather’s friend’s family but also a book which had been written by Stephan Morar’s daughter.
Happy ending
Afterwards we exchanged emails and had a chat by phone and yes, we spoke in English. We decided to meet and to exchange books about our grandfathers, Stephan and Petro. At the end of my story l would like to add something which is of huge importance to me. I spent a lot of time here at the Cork Migrant Centre in Nano Nagle Place learning English. I visited the Nano Nagle museum many times and listened to the lectures about her as a prominent personality in the education of vulnerable people and founder of the convent. It is no coincidence that my dreams came true here: I’m sure that it is connected with the extraordinary properties of that woman and this place where she lived and did good deeds.
Discover the hidden gem of Cork at Nano Nagle Place, a vibrant heritage site that offers a unique glimpse into Irish history and culture. Nestled in the heart of Cork City, the beautifully restored complex features a museum dedicated to the inspiring legacy of Nano Nagle, a social justice pioneer and top tourist destination in Cork. Visitors can explore historic buildings, tranquil walled gardens, and a charming design shop filled with local crafts. Whether you’re looking for educational tours, a peaceful retreat, or a taste of Cork’s rich heritage, Nano Nagle Place provides an unforgettable experience for all ages. Don’t miss this top Cork attraction and delve into the city’s fascinating past while enjoying a modern cultural oasis.