Mykolaiv Opens 2 New Shelters for 800 Students and 90 Preschoolers

Two new shelters for a lyceum and a kindergarten were opened in Mykolaiv region. They will be used for educational activities, including safety training.

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

Two new shelters have been opened in Voznesenskyi district to ensure safety for students of a local lyceum and kindergarten. They were built with the support of the Olena Zelenska Foundation and the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The new shelters are designed for more than 800 lyceum students and 90 preschool children. They are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay in times of danger, including ventilation, sanitary areas, water supplies and basic necessities.

In addition to their main purpose, the shelters are used for educational activities. Each of them hosts trainings and workshops aimed at developing children and improving their safety. For example, a mine safety training was recently organized for lyceum students with the participation of representatives of HALO Ukraine, an international organization specializing in humanitarian demining.

According to the press service, over the past two years, the number of protective structures in educational institutions in Mykolaiv region has increased significantly.

As of early March 2025, their number reached 468:

• in 2022, 8 shelters were equipped;
• у 2023 - 235;
• у 2024 - 209;
• in 2025 - 16 in just two months.

Work on the creation of new protective spaces is ongoing. By 2027, the region plans to build another 140 shelters to ensure that all students and pupils of educational institutions have an adequate level of safety during their studies.

At the end of February, another shelter for a kindergarten was opened in Korabelnyi district. The preschool has started enrolling children and plans to open its doors in the spring. The shelter is equipped with a medical corner, sanitary rooms and a supply of drinking water, covering an area of 440 square meters and is designed for 500 children.

In March, we also set up the first shelter in an out-of-school educational institution. The state-of-the-art shelter was created in the House of Children and Youth Creativity, which will allow children to continue their classes even during air raids. Currently, 64 educational institutions in Mykolaiv have bomb shelters, including 26 kindergartens, 36 schools, one out-of-school education institution and another type of institution.

Анна Бальчінос