KHARKIV, UKRAINE — After four years on the front lines of the conflict, the city of Kharkiv has earned the title of “Fortress Kharkiv.”

In an extraordinary display of resilience and defiance, the city’s children are continuing their education—not in traditional classrooms, but in specialized underground schools built into the city’s metro stations and bunkers.

Protected by meters of concrete and soil, these subterranean classrooms provide a safe haven from the constant threat of aerial bombardment. Teachers work tirelessly to provide a sense of normalcy, with colorful wall decorations and modern learning tools.

For these students, the school day involves descending deep into the Earth, a daily ritual that has become a symbol of Ukraine’s refusal to let the war destroy the future of its youngest generation. The underground schools of Kharkiv stand as a powerful reminder of the human spirit’s ability to adapt and persevere even in the darkest of times.