Pupils in Ukraine commence their school year amidst bomb shelters, to dodge Russian air raids.
In the small village of Bobryk, located in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, a school has been forced to adapt to extraordinary circumstances. With a population of around 2,000, the village's school, which usually houses classes of about 10 children each, has moved its classrooms into a basement to ensure in-person learning can continue.
The school, which currently has approximately 100 students, has seen about 10% of its student body leave since Russia's invasion. Among those remaining is Eva Tui, a 7-year-old student who is starting her third year in a classroom underground.
The basement, refurbished with ventilation, electricity, and new flooring, now serves as a makeshift school. Classrooms are lined up, with no windows or doors, and some divided by heavy plastic sheets. Principal Oleksii Korenivskyi, in a statement, emphasised, "We must do everything so this generation is not lost."
Vlada Mykhailyk, a 15-year-old student, is preparing to move to Austria with her 11-year-old brother due to the dangerous conditions. Despite this, Vlada has grown accustomed to learning underground and admits reluctance to leave the city.
Eva, on the other hand, dreams of a different future. Her former classroom, a warmer and cosier space just 400 meters away, remains in her memory. Her wish for the year is to return to her original classroom, which feels more like home.
The school resumed for the new academic year amidst the shadow of Russia's invasion. On the first day, war was not the first topic in one of the junior classrooms. Instead, students arrived in traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, vyshyvanka, ready to learn.
During the first lesson, the teacher used a textbook showing an undivided map of Ukraine to teach the students about their location near Russia. This is a stark reminder of the current reality, but the students continue to learn, determined not to let the war define their education.
Since the start of the war, schools have adapted to various methods to continue lessons for students. In Bobryk, they have moved classrooms underground, transforming a basement into a place of learning and hope. Despite the challenges, the spirit of education remains strong in this small Ukrainian village.
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