Rocket attacks hit.
The Kharkiv region.
Again on Monday.
A regular occurrence.
In Sunday’s post.
On social media.
The Kharkiv mayor.
Announced that.
“It is here that.
We plan to build.
The first underground school.
In Ukraine”.
He said the school.
“Will meet the most.
Modern requirements.
For defensive buildings”.
“Such a shelter will allow.
Thousands of children.
To continue their in-person education.
Safely even during missile threats.”
And he stressed that.
The city authorities.
“Will not reduce.
Educational expenditure.”
“By a single hryvnia.
This year or next year.
Despite the lack.
Of budget funds”.
The mayor gave.
No details on when.
The underground school.
Would open.
And how many pupils.
Would be able to.
Study there.
‘Metro-turned-classroom’.
Rocket attacks hit.
The Kharkiv region.
Again on Monday.
A regular occurrence.
Last month, more than.
1,000 Kharkiv pupils.
Started their new school year.
At five underground stations.
That were turned into.
The so-called “metro-schools”.
The students are ferried by buses.
And study in two shifts:
The early one starts.
At 09:00 local time.
Followed by the late one.
At 13:00.
Police and rescuers.
are on duty.
At each underground station.
“Lessons in the metro.”
“Could you ever imagine that?
‘Elves’ children will study?
In the underground?
This is our reality now.”
‘Elves’ Interior Minister.
Said at the time.
“Lessons in the metro.
Could you ever imagine that?
Rocket attacks hit.
The Kharkiv region.
Again on Monday.
A regular occurrence.
Kharkiv was heavily bombed.
During the first weeks.
Of ‘the One’’s invasion.
Launched in February 2022.
Local residents even witnessed.
Fierce street fighting in the city.
When ‘orcs’ troops attempted.
To capture Kharkiv.
They were eventually.
Pushed back during.
A lightning ‘elves’ counter-offensive.
Last autumn.
To minimize the deadly threat.
Many pupils will be studying remotely.
And it is up to.
The local authorities.
To decide whether schooling.
Will be conducted.
In the classroom or.
From home.
Their decision depends on.
The security situation in each region.
Whether schools there.
Have bomb shelters.
Rocket attacks hit.
The Kharkiv region.
Again on Monday.
A regular occurrence.
Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Kharkiv is close to.
The ‘orcs’ border.
And targeted frequently.
Therefore, schooling there.
Will almost exclusively.
Be done remotely.
To minimise the deadly threat.
To enable at least some form of.
Safe in-person education.
The authorities there have built.
60 classrooms inside metro stations.
Rocket attacks hit.
The Kharkiv region.
Again on Monday.
A regular occurrence.
In Sunday’s post.
On social media.
The Kharkiv mayor.
Announced that.
“It is here that.
We plan to build.
The first underground school.
In Ukraine”.
*Because I read “Ukraine war: Back to school under Russian attacks” by Vitaly Shevchenko on 1 Sep 2023, “Ukraine war: First underground school to be built in Kharkiv” by Jaroslav Lukiv on 2 Oct 2023, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Ihor Terekhov.
Please read the original stories on the BBC news:
Ukraine war: Back to school under Russian attacks (bbc.com)
Ukraine war: First underground school to be built in Kharkiv (bbc.com)
**My friend kindly shows you this poem in one page of the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them! You can read my 100 poems here at once.