Ukrainian Hryhoriy Nestor was, at the time of his death on 14 December, believed to be the oldest man alive.

He was recognised as Ukraine’s oldest person when he turned 116 in 2007 and his family were in the process of making a claim to Guinness World Records for official recognition as the world’s oldest person.

His life spanned several historical epochs, including the height of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and occupation of Ukraine by Poland and the Soviet Union.

He claimed to have been born on 15 March, 1891, in the western part of the country and this date was believed to have been shown on passports dating back to the early part of the 20th century. At the time of his birth the average life expectancy in the country was less than 50 years.

He worked as a farm labourer and, despite his poverty, maintained a healthy lifestyle. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and drank only in moderation. His favourite food was local sausages.

Despite having numerous girlfriends he never married and joked that the bachelor life was the reason for his longevity. He was also very religious and prayed daily.

He said that the best time he had known during his long life was under the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy which eventually ended after the First World War. "Things were best under Austria," he said. "You could go where you wanted, live where you wanted. And there was work for everyone."

He said the worst time was Soviet rule from 1920 until independence in 1991: “Those Russians promised us all sorts of things – tractors, combines, cars.” Millions of Ukrainian peasants died under Communist rule.

Mr Nestor spent the later part of his life living in the Lviv Oblast province with members of his family and was still active around the house. The only health issues he complained of were headaches and slight deafness. He died in his sleep during the night, his family said.

“He has lived all his life inconspicuous and quiet, grazing cows, and for this he has got this gift from God”, said his grandniece Oksana Savchuk.

He became a minor international celebrity when he celebrated his 116th birthday in March 2007 prompting his family to register a claim with Guinness. However, they had yet to submit conclusive evidence of his age.

At the time of Mr Nestor’s death, American Edna Parker was recognised as the world’s oldest person at 114. However, claims of this kind are fraught with difficulty owing to lack of documentation and many living people claim to be older: Moloko Temo, a South African woman, claims to be 133.

A small funeral was held for Mr Nestor – he had decreed that there should be “no crying” when he died – and his relatives remembered him with his favourite meal.