Kharkiv opens its 10th underground school for up to 2,700 students
Kharkiv opened its 10th underground school on Sept. 1 in the city’s Nemyshlianskyi District, creating the first large underground learning space in an area where children previously had access only to a small metro school.
On September 1, Kharkiv opened its 10th underground school in the Nemyshlianskyi District, marking the first large underground learning space in the city. Mayor Ihor Terekhov inaugurated the facility, which can accommodate up to 2,700 students and covers more than 1,500 square meters. The school boasts interactive classrooms, including an "ice cream classroom" and a "future leaders classroom," as well as a cafeteria, assembly hall, resource room, and computer lab.
Sports courts above ground cater to volleyball, basketball, and soccer. The underground school operates six days a week with three shifts, with first graders attending in-person classes three times a week and older students twice a week. Terekhov highlighted that this is the first underground school in Kharkiv to receive direct state funding, as previous ones relied solely on city funds and international partners.
He expressed the desire for at least three more such schools in the district, noting the ongoing demand for these facilities. The city has 4,600 fewer schoolchildren this year compared to last, with first-grade enrollment dropping by 600 students. Currently, 52-53% of Kharkiv students study in a blended format. The city boasts 24 secure learning locations, including 10 underground schools, seven metro schools, and radiation shelters.
Two additional underground schools and a kindergarten are awaiting funding. Nationwide, over 8,000 schools, or about 70% of the total, started the academic year with in-person classes on September 1, according to the Education Ministry. In Kyiv, wartime conditions forced some first graders to mark the first day inside a shelter due to an air-raid alert.
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