Kherson School Plans ₴17.9M Autonomous Bomb Shelter for Safe Education

An autonomous bomb shelter is planned to be created in the basement of a Kherson school. Last year, 200 thousand hryvnias were allocated from the city budget for the design and expertise of the project, and more than 17 million more need to be raised.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations with reference to the Dream digital recovery ecosystem.

As noted in the project description, Kherson is constantly under enemy fire, and safe education for children remains a big challenge. At the same time, about 4,500 schoolchildren remain in the city, so the need to restore offline education is growing. To enable children to return to school, even in difficult conditions, Kherson Gymnasium No. 1 will be equipped with a modern shelter.

The goal of the project is to create a safe learning space for students and teachers under the constant threat of enemy shelling.

Screenshot: Dream

The school's basement will be overhauled and turned into a safe space that can accommodate up to 300 people (up to 500 children in two shifts). The area of the premises is 412.2 m². The functional areas include three zones: educational, recreational and economic.

The project involves the implementation of inclusivity, including the installation of ramps, handrails, specially equipped toilets, and contrasting relief lines for people with visual impairments. They also plan to install LED lighting with autonomous batteries and a fire safety video surveillance system. Everything is designed so that even during an air raid, students can continue their studies in the most comfortable conditions.

The total budget of the project is UAH 17.9 million, of which:

• UAH 14.8 million - capital expenditures (construction, equipment, infrastructure).
• UAH 3.1 million - operating costs (supervision, expertise, taxes).

The client is the Capital Construction Department of the Kherson City Council, the designer is Archbud Studio LLC, and the expert evaluation was provided by Rembudconsulting LLC.

Screenshot: Dream

According to the description, this project is part of the Single Project Portfolio and is supported at the community and regional levels.

It is planned to equip classrooms, recreational areas, toilets, install ventilation, a lighting system in case of power outages, and relief lines for visually impaired children. Everything was designed so that even during the air alert, students could continue their studies in the most comfortable conditions.

In Kherson, the construction of a new radiation shelter on the territory of secondary school No. 46 has also begun. The structure will be designed for 450 people and will ensure safety in case of emergencies. It is planned to raise more than UAH 100 million for the project.

In addition, UAH 55 million is allocated for the construction of an underground children's hospital in Kherson. The project for the reconstruction of the basement of the main hospital building envisages the creation of a dual-purpose building that will include an operating room, intensive care units, and other medical facilities.

Анна Бальчінос