‘children Thrive Down Here’: The Secret Play Centre Hidden Under Ukraine’s Most Dangerous City

In an underground shelter successful Kherson, astir apt nan astir vulnerable metropolis successful Ukraine, children are chasing each different betwixt integrative chairs. Outside,mortars, artillery and drones alert their deadly paths backmost and distant crossed nan Dnipro River that separates nan metropolis from Russian forces.

This makeshift underground play centre is 1 of nan fewer places wherever children tin socialise pinch each different successful safety. For a fewer hours, it tin beryllium arsenic though nan warfare is not happening. When nan explosions get excessively close, teachers moving astatine nan centre clap louder aliases move up nan euphony to drown retired nan noise.

As children returned to schoolhouse crossed Ukraine this month, 1 successful 3 are having their 4th consecutive world twelvemonth disrupted. In frontline areas specified arsenic Kherson, wherever schools person been damaged successful attacks, children person to study mostly online.

But aft increasing up successful isolation astatine location aliases successful explosive shelters, children are falling down successful their acquisition and development. They are besides getting progressively frustrated.

The basement play centre successful Kherson. Across Ukraine, much than 3,000 children person been killed aliases injured since 2022. Photograph: Emre Çaylak/The Guardian

“My boy asks maine why he can’t spell out, because he says he could beryllium killed astatine location aliases extracurricular – there’s nary difference,” says Valentina*, 37, 1 of nan mothers who uses nan centre.

The consequence of decease aliases wounded for each civilians is high. In Kherson, Russia has been waging a systematic drone run to dispersed panic among residents, which has been dubbed nan “human safari” and may represent a warfare crime. In July, a one-year-old boy was killed successful nan courtyard of a residential building successful nan Kherson region by a drone strike.

The civilian casualties person escalated successful caller months, according to nan UN, pinch astir attributed to Russian attacks utilizing long-range explosive weapons successful populated areas and short-range drones adjacent frontline locations.

Across Ukraine arsenic a whole, more than 3,000 children person been killed aliases injured since nan commencement of full-scale warfare successful 2022 – balanced to astir 150 classrooms of children.

With specified dangers, families are forced to walk overmuch of their lives underground aliases indoors, calculating each errand against mortal danger. Stuck indoors, teachers opportunity children now struggle to socialise, and their reside and assurance person been group backmost without entree to their peers, while immoderate person not yet learned to read.

Narmina Strishenets, a conflict advisor pinch nan UK charity Save nan Children, says: “Instead of focusing connected play, socialising and passions, children are focused connected beingness survival.

Psychologists successful nan underground centre are moving pinch children to rebuild connection skills, trim worry and thief them consciousness safe astir others. Photograph: Emre Çaylak/Guardian

“We turned this basement into a shelter successful 2023 arsenic attacks connected nan metropolis ramped up,” nan 60-year-old says. “When I saw really nan children thrived down present because they could walk clip together, I realised it would beryllium a awesome abstraction for them.”

Open connected weekdays, it is simply a gathering spot for children aged from 1 twelvemonth aged to their precocious teens. The younger children sing, tie and play games, while nan older ones watch TV aliases talk to friends.

A Kherson schoolroom destroyed successful a Russian airstrike past year. At slightest 19 group were injured successful nan attack, including 2 children aged 3 and five. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Psychologists effort to easiness nan children’s worry and problems sleeping, arsenic good arsenic conditions specified arsenic autism, which they opportunity tin go harder to negociate owed to nan war.

Turchynskyi says 1 of nan children astatine nan centre had lived successful a basement for months during nan occupation, processing glucosuria because of nan stress. When nan boy first started attending nan play centre, he would only opportunity yes aliases no, but is now opening to regain his assurance aft moving pinch a scientist there.

Oleh Turchynskyi, who opened nan play centre, still useful contempt being injured successful a drone attack. Photograph: Emre Çaylak/Guardian

Last month, a drone smashed into nan room of Turchynskyi’s 12th-floor level while his woman was making dinner. His caput and assemblage were injured, and his woman remains successful a captious information successful hospital, her assemblage afloat of shrapnel.

“Every time and nighttime I retrieve really she screamed – truthful large and horrific,” says Turchynskyi. He says he has stayed successful Kherson because he feels a work to nan organization and nan children. “I conscionable can’t time off these group alone.”

The basement play centre successful Kherson hosts 30–35 children daily, offering safety, games, and companionship. Photograph: Emre Çaylak/The Guardian

Back successful nan shelter, Valentina says her location was besides deed by a drone onslaught earlier this twelvemonth and that she and her son, Klav, 15, now unrecorded astatine a friend’s home. There is often nary energy aliases internet, and she avoids having lights connected astatine nighttime anyhow truthful arsenic not to pull drones.

Her biggest fear, however, is that she has tried excessively difficult to shield her boy from her ain fears – he now hardly reacts to nan sound of explosions.

“Every time life present gets worse,” says Valentina. “I utilized to thrust to nan supermarket, but now I spell by bicycle because location is nary motor to drown retired nan sound of nan drones, truthful I cognize erstwhile I request to run.

“We beryllium alternatively than live,” she says.

* Name has been changed to protect her identity