In Kharkiv, three new underground schools were opened at once, located in Saltivka. The largest is the school in the 524th microdistrict — it is located on the third underground floor, equipped with two elevators and capable of accommodating over 500 students at a time.
Since September 1, seven underground educational institutions have been operating in the city. The conditions are as close as possible to regular education: equipped classrooms, dining rooms, assembly halls, computer labs, and resource rooms for children with special educational needs.
The school is run in two shifts. Elementary school students attend classes four times a week, and middle and high school students attend classes three times a week. In total, over 17,000 Kharkiv schoolchildren study underground, which is about 30% of the total number.
The city plans to expand the network of underground institutions. According to Mayor Igor Terekhov, by January 1, 2026, three more schools of this type will open in Kharkiv, each of which will be able to accommodate up to 1,200 students. This will allow thousands of children to return to full-time education after several years of distance learning.
Parents and teachers note that underground schools are not only about safety, but also about restoring the real atmosphere of school life, which was so lacking during the wartime online lessons.
