Safety for children: an underground kindergarten was built in Mykolaiv

An underground kindergarten in the Ingul district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

A shelter for pupils of kindergarten No. 95 was built in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. The shelter can accommodate up to 150 children.

This was reported by a correspondent of NikVesti.

During the renovation, the shelter was overhauled: the floor was replaced, the walls and ceiling were renovated. The premises were equipped with ventilation systems, fire alarms, necessary appliances and furniture. Separate play and study areas were provided for children. A barrier-free entrance was also installed for visitors with special educational needs. The total area of the shelter, including technical rooms, is up to 300 square metres.

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The renovation works lasted from December 2024 to April 2025. №6.6 million was spent on the shelter. The project was implemented by the SavED charity in cooperation with The LEGO Foundation.

According to Lesia Voloshchuk, director of kindergarten №95, the institution has not been operating offline for more than three years due to the full-scale invasion.

«Our institution has not worked offline for three years because of the war. The children studied remotely, we sent assignments to parents in messengers. The building of the kindergarten was damaged during one of the shelling, and we managed to repair some of it. But without an equipped shelter, we could not start face-to-face classes at all. Now in the safe underground space, we have everything we need — lots of new toys and several rooms for children's development»,» says Lesia Voloshchuk.

Lesia Voloshchuk, director of kindergarten No. 95. Photo: NikVesti

Anna Novosad, co-founder of the savED charity foundation, said that four safe shelters for kindergartens and schools are being built in Mykolaiv as part of the project. According to her, special attention is being paid to preschools, which are still without state support:

«In total, we are equipping four kindergartens, and two of them have schools. These shelters will allow more than 1,500 children, including schoolchildren, to return to offline learning. It is especially important that we are talking about preschool education. For the second year in a row, state funding has been directed to school shelters, while there is almost no support for kindergartens — either local authorities or NGOs are responsible for this. And this is a shame, because it is preschoolers who need live communication the most. An online kindergarten is like dry rain: things that don't go together»,» says Anna Novosad.

The premises needed significant refurbishment, as it used to be a heating main. Large-scale construction work had to be carried out to turn the technical facility into a safe shelter.

«If you imagine catacombs or scenes from scary films, this is where it was. There was a large heating station and a heating main that served the surrounding buildings. We cooperated with the city authorities to get the utilities to remove their utilities. Only then could we start the repairs. We had to excavate at least 1.2 metres of soil to reach the required ceiling height according to the regulations. This is important so that people can stand, breathe fresh air and stay in the shelter without harm to their health for at least 3-4 hours,» says Anna Puttsova, co-founder of the savED Foundation.

Anna Novosad and Anna Puttsova, co-founders of the savED charity foundation. Photo: NikVesti

The opening ceremony of the renovated shelter was also attended by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi. He stressed that creating safe conditions for children is one of the key areas in the field of preschool education, especially in the frontline regions.

«The safety of children during the educational process is one of our top priorities. During martial law, the preschool education system faces serious challenges, especially in the frontline regions. We highly appreciate the help of our partners, thanks to which we managed to renovate shelters in four kindergartens in Mykolaiv region. This is not only about protection, but also about the continuity of education, peace of mind for parents and confidence for teachers. The more kindergartens are adapted to security challenges, the more children will be able to return to full-time education. And we are moving in this direction»,» said the Minister.

Photo report

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Head of the office of the Danish Embassy in Mykolaiv Jakob Torrild Hansen. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi  district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Ingul district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

ul district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

Opening of an underground kindergarten in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

An underground kindergarten in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti

In May, another kindergarten shelter was rebuilt in Mykolaiv's Soliany district. The shelter can accommodate up to 800 people.

We have also recently completed the repair of another protective shelter in a kindergarten. The refurbished premises are designed for 150 children and caregivers and meet safety requirements.