Ukrainian man who fled war in ambulance set to celebrate 107th birthday in Ireland

A Ukrainian citizen who became Ireland’s oldest living man when he moved here in 2024 is making preparations to celebrate his 107th birthday with his family in Dublin.

Petro Motorny was born in Cherasky Oblast, around 100 miles south of Kyiv, on November 5, 1919. He has lived through a civil war, a world war, two famines, and a Russian invasion.

He initially refused to join much of his family in Ireland following the outbreak of the Ukraine War in February 2022, but relented amid escalating bombardment and destruction two years later.

“He didn’t want to come over after the Russians invaded full-scale in 2022,” recalls Petro’s 47-year-old grandson, Max, who has lived in Ireland for 24 years. “But the bombing was so bad and the facilities in the city were so badly demolished that we insisted, and we brought him over.”

“We hired an ambulance to drive him to Moldova, and my brother and I flew over there and brought him to Dublin in February 2024.”

Surprisingly, Petro saw the perilous transition from a war-torn nation to a strange country as more of an adventure than an ordeal, and was very impressed by what he found when he arrived.

“Actually, he didn’t show any signs of distress,” says Max. “He was excited to travel. He was complaining that his eyesight was not so good anymore, because it was a new environment and he wanted to see it clearer.

“But I described everything to him and, while his eyesight isn’t the best, he can still see around well enough. So he was more excited than he was upset with the move.

“He says Dublin is the most beautiful city that he has seen, and he has travelled around Ukraine and Russia when he was younger, so he knows what he’s talking about. He says the streets are super wide, and the gardens and flowers are so well looked after.”

The hardship and tragedy that Petro has experienced during his long life has given him a unique perspective, according to Max.

“His family suffered a lot during the Ukrainian famine in the 1930s. His younger brother died of starvation,” he says. “The way Petro described it to me, it was just so crushing.

“He said his mom was not properly conscious because they were not eating properly, and his brother was just a few months old, and he was holding his hand as he passed away.

“It’s just excruciating to hear that story, let alone actually experience it,” adds Max.

When Petro grew up, he worked in shipbuilding, initially as a welder before becoming a foreman at the age of 25. He worked in the shipyards until his late 60s, and was also a local councillor.

“After retiring, he read a lot and still reads a lot to this day,” says Max. “He stays up to date on current affairs, he likes to know what’s going on in the world – how the war is going, what the situation is in Ukraine – and we talk to him about that in the evenings when everyone is at home.”

Petro is living with Max and his wife, along with their three sons, in Tempelogue. Petro’s son, Vasil, 77, and his other grandson are also nearby.

“He’s very happy to be around his family, and we’re delighted to have him around,” says Max.

The 106-year-old had initially hoped to teach his great-grandchildren some Ukrainian when he moved to Ireland, but he has found that they’re teaching him English instead.

“My kids speak English at home, so mostly they don’t understand what Grandpa is saying but they love having him there. I’m surprised that he’s picked up a few words of English, but that’s his thirst for knowledge.

“I would like to be half as sharp as he is in 10 years as he is now,” laughs Max.

With Petro’s 107th birthday just three weeks away, the family are planning celebrations for the incredible milestone.

“We usually keep it very family-oriented,” says Max. “My brother lives here as well, he came to Ireland around 2000 – just a few years before me, and his family lives here.

“He has a son and daughter, and I have three sons. So, when we get together, it’s a big family. If weather permits, we’re just going to set the table in the back garden, and have a nice Ukrainian meal with Ukrainian recipes. And we’ll just have some drinks and chat.”

Petro never drank excessively but occasionally he asks for a glass of Irish whiskey. Max is unsure whether his grandfather has any particular secret to long life.

“He didn’t stick to a particular diet of any kind. There’s a Ukrainian delicacy that is like salted pork fats [salo] – it’s nothing that doctors would recommend anywhere in Europe, so he wasn’t very particular,” he says.

Petro is enjoying the attention as he approaches 107 but hadn’t realised that he was the oldest living man in Ireland. When Vasil told him this fact, he thought his son was just teasing him about being old.

“He’s absolutely delighted,” says Max. “He has a sense of humour, and he’s grateful for the attention. He’s absolutely delighted about the situation, he finds it very funny.”