Pupils in Tetiana’s classroom are never told off for gazing absent-mindedly out of the window after they must be concentrating on work.
That’s because this unique school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, lies deep below the
ground, fortified against attacks.
For 4 years now, the hustle and bustle of scholars within the hallways has
been replaced by the distant booming and shaking from Russian missiles.
Tetiana, 27, has been working as a teacher for six years. The vast majority of which have been underground, amid air sirens and the constant threat of an attack from Russia, just 25 miles away.
Kharkiv, nicknamed ‘Smart City’ resulting from its high concentration of universities, has faced constant power outages from strikes, turning Tetiana’s job right into a challenge most educators won’t ever need to grapple with.
Lots of Tetiana’s students have never known what a standard school is like, she said, but many proceed showing up every day within the bunker to proceed their studies face-to-face.
One in all those pupils is 15-year-old Angelina, who told Metro that her current education setup may be very different from what she’s used to.
‘All my friends being here makes it much easier, though,’ she said. ‘But I miss the whole lot about my old style, especially the sensation of peace and safety.’
Yullia, 15, said it’s not completely comfortable to learn underground, but the protection and being with friends make it feel a bit more normal.
‘I miss looking outside the windows and seeing the sun,’ she said.
Alisa, 13, stayed within the shelter where she’s attending school for a month when the war broke out.
‘It was home, in addition to school, for some time,’ she said. ‘The benefit of studying underground is that it’s protected.
‘And it’s a lot better to learn offline and see my teacher in person. This is just possible within the shelter. But I just miss a standard school day, the way it was before, having fun with my friends outside.’
15-year-old Mark told Metro he enjoys studying physics since it helps him forget that lessons are underground, but he misses his old normal, making friends and having fun while learning.
Daniil, 15, said that although he still enjoys studying, he misses the parts of faculty which allowed him to get together along with his mates every day.
Learning underground hasn’t put a dampener on the hopes of those young students, who hope for more normalcy when the war ends.
Maksym, 14, told Metro: ‘I might enjoy seeing my dad more often. If the war ends, I’d go to Germany to see family who fled when the war began.’
Mark said visitors could be welcome to Ukraine with open arms: ‘When peace comes, people should come to Kharkiv, and we are going to treat them to the local food.
‘We shall be glad to just accept foreign guests and show them around town.’
For other students, their hopes for after the war are simpler. ‘I would like to have a barbecue with my friends and have fun,’ Daniil admitted.
Even with the hope of peace, the teenagers say their situation has made them realise how lucky they were before the war.
Chief of UNICEF Ukraine’s Kharkiv Field Office on underground schools
Jinan Ramadan, Chief of UNICEF Ukraine’s Kharkiv Field Office, told Metro: ‘After nearly 4 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, thousands and thousands of kids have experienced significant disruptions to their education.
‘Through targeted catch-up programmes corresponding to these in Kharkiv, UNICEF helps children get well lost learning, return to consistent, protected in-person education and rebuild their futures – and that of the country.’
Angelina admits: ‘I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t complained about their lives—value each moment, minute and hour since you don’t know what’s going to or may occur.
‘Before the full-scale war, we didn’t value life as much as we could. People should value the whole lot they’ve.’
Alisa agreed: ‘It’s worthwhile to live within the moment. Don’t postpone plans, since you never know what might occur.’
Despite the continued strikes which shake the underground classroom, Tetiana said she doesn’t feel fear anymore while teaching lessons.
‘I just stay vigilant and careful in terms of children. Each place here is dangerous, some places greater than others—all of us need to proceed taking care of each other,’ she said.
‘But we don’t need to be forgotten. We wish people world wide to keep in mind that we exist, that we’re working and fighting for a greater future.’
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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