As the new school year begins, students in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, are starting classes in a unique setting: an underground school designed to keep them safe from ongoing Russian bombardments.
Despite the harsh realities of war, the children of Kharkiv marked their first day of school with traditional celebrations. This was a striking contrast to the violence that continues to impact the city. On the same day, a Russian strike injured 13 people, and another attack on Friday resulted in seven deaths and numerous injuries when a glide bomb hit a residential high-rise.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Kharkiv’s schools have primarily operated online. The city, located near the front lines of the conflict, has seen significant damage and disruption. However, one school in Kharkiv, constructed in May 2024 within an underground metro station, is now holding in-person lessons.
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On Monday, this underground school hosted the traditional back-to-school festivities typical in Ukraine and other post-Soviet states. Parents arrived with bouquets, and children dressed in their finest for the occasion.
Tetiana Hubina, a mother of a first-year student, expressed hope for safety, saying, “We brought them here because we thought it was safer and our children wouldn’t be afraid of missiles and strikes.” She added, “They will be safe here.”
Kharkiv, with a population of approximately 1.3 million, faced heavy shelling in 2022 as Russian forces advanced on the city. Although Ukrainian forces successfully repelled the assault, Kharkiv remains just 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border and continues to endure frequent bombings and missile attacks.
Alina Patrusheva, another mother with a child at the underground school, shared her concerns: “We are more worried about the time we spend at home. It has not been quiet recently in the area where we live.”
As the conflict drags on for over 900 days, there are no signs of a ceasefire or peace negotiations. Both Russia and Ukraine are engaged in intense ground offensives, with Ukrainian forces advancing into Russia’s Kursk region and Russian forces pushing deeper into Ukraine’s Donetsk region, part of the contested Donbas area.
(With inputs from online sources)
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