Kharkiv is one of the regions in Ukraine that is heavily shelled by the Russian army, so in-person training cannot take place. However, the new, safe buildings give hope that even if the war drags on, children will have the opportunity to return to school, at least partially.
You will be able to stay at school for up to a month
On the construction site, road cranes roar, concrete mixers, iron rebars clatter. Only, unlike a normal construction site, a new modern building will not rise here, because the building will be built underground – it will be a bomb shelter and a school at the same time.
Construction of a school in Kharkiv region
Photo: Ina Strazdiņa, LTV
The new building is being built next to the art lyceum in the Kharkiv region, which has already experienced several rocket attacks and therefore it is no longer possible to continue the daily learning process here.
“This will be an underground construction, where the wall thickness will be 400 millimeters, the coating thickness will be 350 millimeters, and this will guarantee the safety of the students.
This entire structure will be located at a depth of 4 to 6 meters, and it must be able to withstand the impact of an S-300 missile,” says construction manager Vladislavs Khudokormovs.
Construction manager Vladislavs Khudokormovs
Photo: Ina Strazdiņa, LTV
Up to 400 people, both students and teachers, will be able to stay in the underground building, there will be classrooms and everything necessary in case you suddenly have to stay longer.
“This bomb shelter is designed in such a way that children will be able to stay in it for a whole month.”
In the wind and rain, the builders continue their work, the school is planned to be finished by the summer, meanwhile the children are studying remotely.
Art brings together
The corridors and classrooms of the Art Lyceum are empty, there are no children, but there are their works. School director Svetlana Volchkova shows how drawings become almost alive with the help of a special phone application. The little students have sent them by mail.
This is how the traveling exhibition with Ukrainian heroes was created, including President Zelensky, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as well-known singers and writers in Ukraine.
“Our children are not only in the Kharkiv region, but also abroad. In order to create such an exhibition, children have to send us their works by mail. They literally fly from all corners of the world, from all places, wherever they are. And such exhibitions, in essence, bring us together again “, says the director of the lyceum, Svetlana Volchkova.
Director of Kharkiv Art School Svetlana Volchkova and teacher Oleksandr Vakulenko
Photo: Ina Strazdiņa, LTV
One of the largest art rooms displays works in the ancient Ukrainian paper-cut technique. They were also welcomed by the art teacher at a distance from his students. This performance will be carried to the capital Kyiv, to the Supreme Rada, before Christmas.
“Recently, we showed our works in Kharkiv, at an exhibition called “Kharkiv is unbreakable, Kharkiv is blooming.” The children had drawn so many pictures…
And through them he showed his attitude – that even though our so-called “brothers”, the occupiers send us rockets as gifts, we will still live in this land forever…” Emphasizes Vakulenko.
Top class shelter
But in the meantime, another lyceum in the Kharkiv region is building similar underground houses for its students. A two-story building is being built in the huge construction pit, which will have everything the school needs, an elevator to go down, and generators.
From above it will be completely covered with grass and greenery. And you can’t even guess that there will be an educational institution down here.
This is a top-class shelter that will also be able to withstand radiation, says Olegs Chernobajs, chairman of the Pisochinsk District Council.
“This one you see is actually an underground school, so to build it, you had to dig a deep hole, put in proper waterproofing to keep water out.
A lot of metal and special concrete are used for the construction, so that this structure is on the one hand very strong and able to withstand all possible impacts, and on the other hand, since we are already in winter, it exactly meets all the technical requirements.”
The construction, which cost two million euros, is also expected to be completed by the summer.
Children long to meet
“We are very much looking forward to when everything will be ready, because in fact, the fourth year of teaching is done remotely, because before that there was also covid. The children long for a social life. And when we have this underground school, I think a lot of things will be solved,” says Lyceum director Antonina Serotenko.
“We are in a region that is under fire very often. Last year was extremely hard – we had no communications, no electricity, no light, no heat. It was very, very hard.
And, of course, the children missed school. You know, war is something that hurts adults and children tremendously.”
The director says that when the war is over, they will find another use for the underground school, but now the most important thing is to get over this time.
“God grant that you never have to experience such a thing!”
2023-12-01 18:26:53
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