Ukrainian refugee recounts life in Cork after wife’s death

A Ukrainian refugee who arrived in Ireland in 2022 has spoken about rebuilding his life in Cork after the death of his wife, Olga, during the war.

The 70‑year‑old man fled Kyiv with his family on 24 February 2022, the day the full‑scale invasion began. After a brief stay with his wife’s sister in the countryside, he and his daughter Nadia travelled to Kraków and then flew to Dublin, where volunteers took them to Conna near Fermoy.

In May 2022 the family moved to accommodation in Cork City and both he and Olga enrolled in English classes at the Cork Migrant Centre, fulfilling his long‑standing dream of speaking English fluently.

During the fifth month of the conflict Olga died, reportedly due to depression linked to the war and family circumstances. Her ashes remain in Ireland, with plans to repatriate them to Ukraine once hostilities cease.

Since her passing, the refugee has engaged in various activities to cope with his loss. He has formed a friendship with his English teacher, Fabrice, and, with the help of Fabrice’s sister, traced a wartime correspondence between his grandfather Petro and a French soldier named Stepan. This led to contact with Stepan’s grandson Olivier and the discovery of a book written by Stepan’s daughter Marusia.

He now participates in a storytelling project at Nano Nagle Place, writing his memoirs and continuing to adapt to life in Cork.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Michael Fischer / Pexels.