On the first day of September 2025, as children in many countries walked to school with backpacks and bright hopes for a new year, the scene in Kharkiv, Ukraine, was strikingly different. According to Vietnam.vn, around 17,000 Ukrainian children began their school year not in sunlit classrooms, but deep underground, shielded from the relentless threat of air raids and shelling that have become a grim backdrop to daily life in the country’s war-torn east.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, sits perilously close to the Russian border and has endured frequent attacks since the conflict escalated. With safety a constant concern, local authorities have transformed the city’s subway stations and other deep shelters into makeshift schools. In total, seven underground schools are currently in operation, with plans underway to open more in the coming months, as confirmed by city officials and reported by Reuters.
The decision to move schools underground wasn’t taken lightly. But as the conflict dragged on, it became clear that the only way to offer any semblance of normalcy—and a future—to Ukrainian children was to bring education to where it could be delivered most safely. The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, explained, “This is one of the schools closest to the Russian border. Today, we just opened two schools in the Novosaltivka district, similar to this one.” He emphasized the importance of the depth of the shelters, stating, “You can see that this school is located very deep underground. This depth is a key factor in ensuring safety. The school is large enough to accommodate about 1,500 students.”
Inside these subterranean schools, the routines of childhood persist, albeit with an edge of anxiety that’s hard to ignore. Teachers urge students to hurry inside as lessons begin, and children—some clutching hands for reassurance—descend stairways into classrooms packed with art supplies, books, and the hum of nervous energy. Here, children of different ages learn side by side, united by the shared experience of war and the determination to keep learning despite it all.
For many families, the return to school is bittersweet. Anastasia Pocherzhina, a parent whose daughter started first grade in one of Kharkiv’s deepest underground schools, described her mixed emotions. “Today, my daughter, who is in first grade, went to school for the first time. It’s an underground school near the northern Saltivka district,” she said, according to The Guardian. “This school is very deep underground, and therefore I feel very confident about the safety. We did not expect our children to go to school this year, but as parents, I always want my children to go to school as usual.”
Yet, the specter of war lingers even in these protected spaces. Pocherzhina admitted, “We hope things will get better, but we do not expect complete peace. We do not think we will return to school in the usual way because we understand the reality and are not deluded.” Her words echo the cautious optimism—and deep pragmatism—felt by so many in Ukraine today.
The start of the school year is a cherished tradition in Ukraine, typically marked by children bringing flowers and gifts for their teachers. This year, those traditions continued, but with an added layer of poignancy. The underground schools are not just a testament to resilience; they are a vivid reminder of what has been lost. Six-year-old Maria Yampolska, beaming as she described her first day, said she was happy to learn art and play with friends in her new classroom. When asked how it compared to kindergarten, she replied simply, “I have never been to school before because of the war.” For Maria and thousands like her, the war is not just a distant headline—it is the reason their first memories of school take place beneath the earth.
Education officials in Kharkiv are determined to maintain some sense of continuity for these children. Mayor Terekhov announced that three more underground schools will open early next year, and that six subway stations across the city have already been repurposed as classrooms. The aim, he said, is to help children “live as normal a life as possible,” even as air raid sirens and the threat of bombardment remain a constant reality.
The challenges facing Ukraine’s education system are immense. Not only must schools be physically secure, but teachers must also contend with the emotional trauma and instability that war brings. According to the Vietnam.vn report, at least 1,500 children in the Donetsk region have been displaced from their homes and are now receiving education support in temporary shelters. The psychological toll of displacement, uncertainty, and loss is difficult to measure, but educators are working tirelessly to provide stability and encouragement.
Despite these hardships, the spirit of the Ukrainian people remains unbroken. The conversion of subway stations into schools is just one example of how communities are adapting to survive. In these underground classrooms, children recite lessons, draw pictures, and dream of a day when they can return to the surface—not just for recess, but for a life free from fear.
International observers have noted the extraordinary efforts being made to keep education alive in Ukraine’s conflict zones. The United Nations and various humanitarian groups have provided resources and psychological support, recognizing that the continuity of education is vital not only for academic progress but also for the mental health and future prospects of young people.
Looking ahead, there is hope that the situation will improve. While peace negotiations with Russia continue, most families in Kharkiv remain realistic about the challenges ahead. As Pocherzhina put it, “We do not expect to return to school in the usual way because we understand the reality and are not deluded.” For now, the underground schools of Kharkiv stand as a powerful symbol of resilience, ingenuity, and the unyielding desire of a community to give its children a future—even in the darkest of times.
As the new academic year unfolds, the children of Ukraine will continue to learn, to hope, and to look forward to a day when school bells once again ring above ground. Until then, the lessons taught beneath the city streets are as much about courage and perseverance as they are about reading and arithmetic.