Одесский национальный университет имени И. И. Мечникова
Potapenko was born in the village of Fyodorovka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) where his father was a priest. Potapenko studied at Odessa University, and at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. His first works were tales of Ukrainian life. He's best known for his novel "A Russian Priest (1890)", published in "Vestnik Evropy (Herald of Europe)". His works include novels, plays, and short stories.