Story of a School in Chernihiv Region: Returning to Learning in Safe Conditions

Everything changed on 1 March 2022, when a large Russian military convoy entered the village. People soon found themselves under occupation. They were terrified to go outside, and leaving the village was extremely difficult.

Valentyna, a teacher at the Pisky secondary school, recalls that period with sadness:

“My family and I never left the village. But there were times when enemy troops were stationed just 300 metres from our house. It was terrifying. On those days, we would flee to the forest and stay there all day because it was too dangerous to remain at home. Looting had already begun, and livestock was being stolen. We deliberately left our doors and windows unlocked so that if Russian soldiers entered the house, they would at least not break anything.”

The occupation lasted a month but left a lasting mark on the residents’ memories. People spent weeks without communication, sufficient food and medicine, and electricity. Simply charging a phone and reaching out to family became a challenge for many.

Polina, an 11th-grade student who has attended the Pisky school since first grade, is now preparing for her final exams. She dreams of becoming a marketing specialist and plays the guitar in her free time. Her family decided to stay in the village during occupation. She shared her memories from that period:

“We had spent a long time without electricity, and then, right at the start of the war, we found ourselves under occupation. Every day we could hear tanks and explosions. It was truly terrifying.”

In the first months of the full-scale invasion, Polina’s school was damaged. A window was blown out, and the roof was compromised.

“We don’t know exactly how it happened, but we think it was from a burst of automatic fire. That day, Russian soldiers were furious and drove through the village, firing at everything in their path. When the rainy season came, water started leaking through the gaps in the roof. We, the teachers and parents, did all we could to save the building,” recalls Valentyna Samson.

After the village was returned under Ukrainian control, UNOPS repaired one of the school buildings with funding from the EU. However, because the school lacked a proper shelter, there were plans to close it entirely. To prevent this, UNOPS and the EU decided to build a modular shelter — a separate structure designed for short-term protection against debris and blast waves.

“We were very happy when we learned that UNOPS would not only repair the school but also build a shelter. We understood that children need to study in person — it’s crucial for both social development and the learning process. Now, with the shelter in place, we have a fully established procedure for air raid alerts: as soon as the sirens sound, all teachers lead the children to the shelter, where they continue their lessons until the all-clear signal,” says Valentyna Khomenko, the school principal.

Denys, an 11th-grade student, shared that everyone quickly adapted to learning in the new conditions.

“The modular shelter has everything we need to continue learning. There are three zones: one for the younger grades, one for the middle grades, and one for the older students. Each student has an assigned seat in the shelter. We stay in our places until the all-clear signal sounds,” he explained.

The students are happy to come to school every day and see their friends. Despite the ongoing war, they are all preparing for exams, dreaming of a bright future, and hoping for the end of the conflict.

About the project

The Schools Repairs in Ukraine project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNOPS, aims to repair educational facilities that have been damaged during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This $30 million initiative is being implemented in the regions of Chernihiv, Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv, focusing on schools requiring light to medium repair work.

The primary objective of the project is to provide access to repaired school facilities which will increase the proportion of children receiving face-to-face education. By rehabilitating more than 70 schools, the project will help restore facilities to a safe and welcoming environment where students can continue their education without interruption.