Education under shelling: stories of Ukrainian teachers about the war

When on February 24, 2022, explosions rang out outside the windows of Ukrainian residents, it was clear to both children and teachers that there would be no lessons today.

The first shock passed, and despite their own stress and the unpredictability of the situation, the teachers were able to resume their studies. They conducted lessons from bomb shelters, corridors and even trenches. Sometimes straight from the street - because that's where the Internet was.

Later, it will be written in the news that Ukraine promptly adapted the educational process to the conditions of a full-scale war. But in reality, teachers did and are doing much more than "just doing their job."

They again united children in classes, no matter where they were in Ukraine and the world. And they have become a support for young Ukrainians and their families, which does not allow them to fall into despair in the most difficult days. After all, it's soon time for class.

Ukrainian flag was hanging in my school throughout occupation
15.09.2023
Olena Kondratenko
"Ukrainian flag was hanging in my school throughout occupation"
“The entire staff of Mariupol University are heroes”
11.08.2022
Mykola Trofymenko
“The entire staff of Mariupol University are heroes”
“The bullet hit the boy in the head. His father made him a coffin from the closet”
05.12.2022
Yusef Nikolchenko
“The bullet hit the boy in the head. His father made him a coffin from the closet”
“It’s hard that children stayed without friends, without anything they need”
30.07.2023
Olena Peslyak
“It’s hard that children stayed without friends, without anything they need”
“We don’t want a war! We don’t want such childhood!”
27.04.2022
Olga Osovskaya
“We don’t want a war! We don’t want such childhood!”
“Carpet bombing. It’s only a matter of time before it hits your house”
09.08.2023
Mykhailo Vereskun
“Carpet bombing. It’s only a matter of time before it hits your house”
“There is an inscription on the blackboard that says ‘February 23’ – as if time had stopped...”
19.12.2022
Valery Gukova
“There is an inscription on the blackboard that says ‘February 23’ – as if time had stopped...”
“Once I got in the car with my son, I just lost my voice. I could not say a word for 12 days”
11.10.2022
Nadia Ukrainets
“Once I got in the car with my son, I just lost my voice. I could not say a word for 12 days”
“We were shocked when we saw the civilian cars with bullet holes and mutilated bodies”
05.09.2022
Oksana Kovalinska
“We were shocked when we saw the civilian cars with bullet holes and mutilated bodies”
The wounded guy says, “Tomorrow is my birthday. But today I was born for the second time”
09.10.2022
Lyubov Shamota
The wounded guy says, “Tomorrow is my birthday. But today I was born for the second time”
“They sent for me under the threat of death – if I don’t come, they will shoot me...”
13.08.2022
Mykola Artemovich Mykytchyk
“They sent for me under the threat of death – if I don’t come, they will shoot me...”
“‘We were told that you have firearms’ – that’s how they tried to force us to cooperate”
17.08.2023
Julia Vasylenko
“‘We were told that you have firearms’ – that’s how they tried to force us to cooperate”
“The dead were buried in the university’s courtyard. In total, more than 20 PSTU employees died”
02.12.2022
Olena Khadzhinova
“The dead were buried in the university’s courtyard. In total, more than 20 PSTU employees died”
“Nurses in the DPR hospital were crying, they also did not believe that someone would come for the guys”
09.06.2023
Anton Bilay
“Nurses in the DPR hospital were crying, they also did not believe that someone would come for the guys”
“The hardest part was waking up in the morning and crossing the threshold”
25.03.2023
Vita Polutska
“The hardest part was waking up in the morning and crossing the threshold”
“Our psychologist, two teachers, an eleventh grader, and the parents of our students died”
30.08.2022
Larisa Arkadievna Bykova
“Our psychologist, two teachers, an eleventh grader, and the parents of our students died”
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