UKRAINE’S first underground school has opened its doors – 6 meters below the surface, in a bomb-proof bunker.
Twenty bright classrooms have been created in purpose-built facilities in a suburb of war-torn Kharkiv.
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It came as fighting raged around the besieged city, which is feared to be surrounded by Russian forces ahead of a full-scale assault.
Still, at school, the children were elated to see their friends again.
Some struggled to hold back tears as they sang the national anthem – girls wore sashes on traditional Ukrainian dresses.
The school has an initial enrollment of 300 children, which is expected to increase to 900 by September.
Most were taught in tube stations in the early days of the war, before switching to home computer learning.
Teacher Koval Olena, 45, said: “It is important for children that they can now see their friends and learn in a natural environment.
“The sparkle in their eyes when they get here is back and it’s wonderful to see.
“It’s sad that they have to be here, but at least it gives them the opportunity to work properly.”
The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, led the creation of the school.
He said: “The children of Kharkiv, like any other children, deserve safety, peace and a normal life – to grow up without fear or restrictions, to study in normal schools, to dream big, to prosper.
“We plan to build similar schools in other neighborhoods in the city.”
Kharkiv has been bombarded by drones and bombs since enemy troops launched a summer offensive.
The Institute for the Study of War revealed that Russia captured more than 750 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year.
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