Our Story
70+ years of Ukrainian education, culture, and community in Nottingham
Since opening its doors on 20 February 1955, Nottingham Ukrainian School – now named in honour of Lesya Ukrainka – has become a cornerstone of cultural and educational life for generations of Ukrainians in the UK. Every Saturday, the schoolyard still echoes with the laughter of children, a living testament to the vision of its founders and the resilience of our community.
From One Classroom to a Cultural Legacy
The story of our school begins on 20 February 1955, when a small group of passionate community leaders and educators opened the doors to Ukrainian children in Nottingham. Their mission was simple yet profound: to preserve language, heritage, and faith – and to pass it on to the next generation.
Founded under the guidance of the local branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), with the tireless efforts of engineers, teachers, priests, and parents, the school quickly grew into more than a place of learning. It became a sanctuary for identity, connection, and belonging.
In those early years, classes were held on Sundays, often in borrowed spaces like the Catholic St. Mary’s School, which generously offered two classrooms. There were no salaries, no official support – only commitment. Teachers doubled as caretakers and storytellers, crafting lessons in Ukrainian language, history, geography, literature, and faith. Gifts instead of pay, lipsticks and cigarette cases instead of wages – everything was done from the heart.
Despite resistance and scepticism – “Why teach Ukrainian to children who are now British?” – the school prevailed. It stood firm in the belief that identity is not a contradiction to integration, but a foundation of strength.
In 1980, a publication marking the school’s 25th anniversary highlighted its core values:
"We carried within us a great treasure – our faith, our language, our traditions. These we had to preserve and pass on, even here, in a foreign land."
Over the decades, the school has educated hundreds of children – young people who now carry their Ukrainian heritage proudly, whether in the UK or around the world. It has fostered generations of teachers, volunteers, and community leaders. And today, it continues to grow – not just in numbers, but in impact.
Now, in 2025, we mark our 70th anniversary with a multimedia project:
“70 Years of Nottingham Ukrainian School: History, Legacy, and the Future”
Through archival materials, teacher and student stories, and community reflections, we invite you to discover the people, moments, and values that have shaped our past – and continue to inspire our future.
Because our story is not only about the past.
It’s about how we carry it forward – together.
All materials collected during the research project in partnership with the Pedagogical Museum of Ukraine have been systematized in the format of a virtual exhibition, which structurally consists of 6 sections and contains over 130 photographs from the 1950s–2020s, as well as analytical texts that interpret the content of visual sources and highlight the stages of development of the Lesya Ukrainka School of Ukrainian Studies as an educational and cultural center of the Ukrainian community in Great Britain.
