On Monday, September 1, children in Ukraine returned to classrooms for the new academic year, many of them studying underground to stay safe from Russian airstrikes.

As noted by Hindustan Times, in Bobryk, a small village in the Sumy region near the front line, a school has shifted entirely into a basement to ensure lessons continue despite frequent sirens. “We must do everything so this generation is not lost,” said principal Oleksii Korenivskyi, stressing that time lost in education cannot be regained.

Classrooms in basements 

The basement, once dark and damp, has been renovated with ventilation, electricity, and new flooring. Makeshift classrooms are divided by plastic sheets, and voices echo together in the confined space. Classes run in two shifts due to limited room. On the first day, many children wore vyshyvanka (embroidered traditional shirts) and brought flowers for their teachers.

Teachers opened lessons with maps showing Ukraine intact, underscoring resilience. “Our region is next to Russia. That’s why it’s so hard, why they bomb us so often,” one teacher told students.

Families on the move

Bobryk’s school has just over 100 pupils, but around 10 per cent have left since the full-scale invasion. Some families are preparing to move abroad for safety. “If you have to choose between online or in the basement, the basement is better,” said 15-year-old Vlada, who is soon relocating to Austria.

For 7-year-old Eva, who began her third year underground, the hope remains simple: “To go back to the classroom. It feels more like home.”