From «Pirates of the Caribbean» to the school shipbuilding workshop: how a teacher and their pupils are building model ships in Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv Gymnasium №20 is home to a school shipbuilding workshop, which the school describes as the only one of its kind in the country. Together with their teacher, Dmytro Peichev, the children are building model ships. The technology teacher’s idea to try building a model of a ship from a film has turned into a major project for the school, involving pupils from Years 5 to 9.

Dmytro Peichev told NikVesti how he first came up with the idea of creating a ship model, how he engages with his pupils, and what new plans he has for the coming academic year.

«Pirates of the Caribbean» and the first models

Dmytro Peichev is originally from Berdiansk, where he began working as a teacher in 1995. He has been in Mykolaiv for over 20 years: first he worked at Secondary School №57, and then at Secondary School №20.

The initial idea to build a model ship came to him in 2013 after watching a film. Prior to that, as Dmytro Peichev explained, he had never done any model-making.

«It all started spontaneously. I’d just watched «Pirates of the Caribbean» and fancied making that ship. But I made it differently. Then I got the lads involved. I’d never made a model before. But I just fancied giving it a go. And that’s how it’s been since 2013. We made four ships in nine months,» said the teacher.

These ships were subsequently displayed many times during City Day celebrations. However, as the teacher explained, transporting them takes its toll, so he suggested making smaller models to make them easier to carry.

Dmytro Peichev explained that he visualises a ship, then calculates the scale, as it’s important to maintain the proportions. After that, everything becomes easier.

Girls are also involved in creating the ship models. As Dmytro Peichev explained, technology teacher Nataliia Lvivska helps out alongside the girls. The pupils sew the sails, embroider them, paint the models and carry out other ‘meticulous’ work.

The model ships, which they began building in 2020, have only just been completed, as their plans were interrupted by the war. In 2025, the children returned to in-person learning at school and continued building the models.

«Every year, I plan how to organise the work so that everyone from Year 5 to Year 9 is involved. Just like in an anthill. The aim was not for a specific year group to do this, but to involve the whole school. It’s more interesting that way,» said Dmytro Peichev.

According to him, each class has its own task. He plans to build each batch of five ships over two years, starting in Year 7 and continuing until the pupils graduate in Year 9.

Teaching without a set formula: how a teacher finds the right approach to pupils

Dmytro Peichev emphasised that you need to find the right approach to each child, regardless of their age.

«I’ve never worked to a template. I’ve been with children for 30 years. There are no bad children, and no two are the same. «Do what I said» doesn’t work here. You have to motivate the child and spark their interest,» the teacher shared.

He explained that he begins to find the right approach to pupils from Year 5 onwards.

«Fifth-year pupils are still young. I’ve observed them, as if through an X-ray, to see what each one is capable of. The most important thing is to understand what drives them. You have to take their mood into account. They’re children: if we don’t tune into them, they’ll ignore us,» noted Dmytro Peichev.

He also believes that all children have a knack for certain tasks.

«I always tell the lads: there’s no such thing as a task that can’t be done; you just need to set yourself a goal. Did I make few mistakes? A thousand. The only person who doesn’t make mistakes is the one who does nothing. Everyone has their own aptitudes; you just mustn’t be lazy,» said the teacher.

When the children ask why they need to learn to build ships, the teacher explains that these are useful life skills which, among other things, develop perseverance and spatial reasoning, and teach them to carry out work that can also be useful at home.

The teacher explained that he consults with the pupils on the best way to build a model, as this is important to them.

«When we’re doing something, it’s not just a case of «I’ve said so, and that’s how it’ll be». I always say that this is our collective effort. I always emphasise that it’s «we», not «I». I ask for their opinion on the best way to do things and consult with them once they’re in Years 8 and 9. This shows that they aren’t just following instructions, but that we’re all taking part in this work. So as not to stifle their ideas. When a child feels that their opinion is valued, it creates a completely different attitude. We maintain a constant dialogue whilst we work,» said Dmytro Peichev.

Plans for the new academic year

As the teacher explained, they tried making drakkars with the pupils, but progress has been slow so far. For the new school year, he is preparing a «ship in a bottle» project for the Year 5 pupils.

Dmytro Peichev noted that the fifth and sixth-year pupils will start by making small models so that they can learn everything step by step.

«They’re starting to saw plywood. The Year 5 pupils are still getting the hang of it: it’s not just about sawing, but also about perseverance and keeping to the correct measurements,» the teacher explained.

That’s why he tailors the work for younger pupils to suit their age.

«Young children want to get things done and see results quickly. To make it quicker, I came up with these bottles. This year, we’ll try this experiment. I’ll find some kind of gimmick that can be carried over from year to year anyway. You just have to experiment,» said Dmytro Peichev.

He also mentioned that he has an idea to build models of Spanish ships, but this would involve wood carving. They plan to purchase engraving tools for this purpose. The teacher noted that the school administration is helping with this, although he is also getting involved: he says the idea for the ships was his, which is why he is taking part.

«The ship theme is particularly relevant for us, as it’s our school’s speciality. Simply put, no other school in Ukraine does anything like this. It was my idea, but the children supported it and, most importantly, so did the headteacher, Olena Viktorivna Bakalyar. I’m very grateful for that, because a lot depends on the headteacher. It’s a good idea, but without that support, nothing would have come of it,» added the teacher.

Photo report

It was previously reported that the «Academy of Children’s Creativity» lyceum in Mykolaiv lacks a shelter. The parents’ committee appealed to members of the Mykolaiv City Council to help set up a shelter in premises they had found nearby.

However, as Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych and the councillors stated, they have only just begun to look into the matter and it may turn out that the basement is unsuitable for use as a shelter. Therefore, it is not worth making grandiose claims that it has been ‘purchased’.