A new underground school has opened in Kharkiv, providing a safe space for over 1,000 students in a city under constant Russian attacks. 
With most children forced to study online, only 7% can attend bunker schools, which operate in two shifts and follow a mixed format—three days in class, two online.
Each school day begins with a moment of silence for the fallen.
Each school day begins with a moment of silence for the fallen.
Teacher Lyudmila Ivanova says many students have lost parents to the war. “They understand why they are silent—they’ve lived it,” she shares. For these children, returning to school offers a rare chance to feel like kids again.
Despite ongoing airstrikes, about 50,000 schoolchildren remain in Kharkiv. In 2024 alone, 318 Russian attacks killed 94 civilians, including three children. Two-thirds of the city’s schools have been destroyed since the invasion began.
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