LocationsMaking the walls smile
A war-damaged 20th-century lyceum is renovated in Vinnytsia Oblast
In the village of Miziakivski Khutory, in Vinnytsia Oblast in west-central Ukraine, stands a lyceum built in 1905. It currently has 175 students on its roll. For its principal, Alla Markevych, the lyceum is like a second home. She has led it for over four years, but her connection to the school runs much deeper – it’s a family tradition. Her mother, aunt, and uncle all worked here, and she herself studied at the lyceum before becoming a primary school and later a fine arts teacher.
In 2024, the lyceum was renovated as part of the Ukraine Recovery Programme, with funding from the EU, the European Investment Bank and technical support from UNDP.
Markevych describes the lyceum’s condition before the renovation, joking, “When people asked how to get to the lyceum, I would tell them that you drive into the village, look for the Miziakivski Khutory sign, then continue on and you’ll spot a run-down building – that’s our school.” She notes that while the interior had seen some repairs over the years, the facade was still in desperate need of attention.
The biggest problem was the cold. “In winter, the children had to study in jackets and gloves,” Markevych says. “It’s clear what level of knowledge can be achieved when children are sitting and blowing on their hands to warm them up. The temperature was extremely low, and it was impossible to study properly.”
Thanks to the renovation, the situation improved significantly. The walls were insulated, making the temperature inside comfortable for both students and staff. The project also included a new, modern colour scheme for the lyceum’s facade.
The lyceum’s roof was upgraded, lightning protection was installed, and the old covering was completely replaced.
The renovation took six months, starting in March and finishing just in time for the new school year that began on 1 September 2024.
The lyceum’s teaching team continues to come up with new projects for students, listening to their ideas and aiming to help them escape the daily stress of the war. For example, the lyceum is filming a video series, and they are organizing a “Night at the Lyceum” evening school for senior students, where lessons will be held from dusk until midnight.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a shelter for internally displaced persons was created on the second floor of the lyceum. Lessons continue, but the war has not disappeared from the children’s lives.
“When I became principal, my first task was to create conditions so that all teachers could fully realize their potential,” Markevych says. “I gathered a young team. People came here with a calling, and they are loving it. In our school, the children really enjoy themselves. They feel that they are the creators of the educational process along with us.”
Photo credit: Maryna Romanenko / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
