Solutions from Ukraine: autonomous underground school to open in Kharkiv region

Construction has started on an underground school in the Kharkiv district that can accommodate up to 150 students in a single session.

Oleh Synehubov, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration head, reported that.

What is the problem?

Currently, the entire education industry is focused on constructing shelters or new schools with both an above-ground and an underground level. These facilities could potentially be utilized as clubs or co-working shelters in times of peace.

Furthermore, the occupiers frequently shell peaceful settlements, particularly in border regions, daily. Therefore, ensuring that schoolchildren are given reliable protection while attending school is crucial.

What is the solution?

Construction has started on an underground school in the Kharkiv district. It will be able to accommodate up to 150 students in a single shift.

How does it work?

As the head of the region said, the facility is planned to be completed in two months.

"This object is complex from the point of view of engineering solutions. We pay special attention to inclusivity, energy autonomy, and electrification issues.

We plan to complete all the works within two months, and then the building will be able to be used for education in several shifts, accepting 150 children in each shift," Synehubov said.

In the village where the school is being constructed, there is currently no protection for community members, state-run establishments, or other resources. As a result, this structure serves a dual purpose, functioning as both a learning center and a haven for locals. It can accommodate up to 500 individuals.

^{An autonomous underground school is being built in the Kharkiv district. Photo: Viacheslav Madievsky/Ukrinform}

"This school will become an educational institution and an important security facility for the community. As a shelter, it is designed for 500 people," emphasized the head of the regional military administration.

Six additional protective structures for educational institutions are currently being constructed in the Kharkiv region. However, there have been issues with certain subcontractors.

According to Oleh Synehubov, the pace of construction in Lozova is not meeting expectations. The administration is currently exploring options for potentially terminating contracts with contractors if the situation does not improve.

"Contractors who cannot finish the work by the end of the year may be substituted. This is of great significance as per the government mandate, as the construction funds must be utilized by December 31," he explained.

According to the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, the government has allocated an extra 2.1 billion UAH to construct 23 protective structures in 19 regional communities. Out of this total, 300 million UAH has explicitly been allocated to Kharkiv.

These actions are part of a comprehensive program aimed at bolstering security in the region, which is currently on the front line due to Russia's military aggression.