From International Partnership to a Real Project: Ukraine’s First Underground Kindergarten Opens in Pisochyn
On July 13, 2026, Ukraine’s first underground kindergarten opened in Pisochyn – a safe and autonomous educational space designed to meet today’s challenges.
An important prerequisite for the implementation of the project was international cooperation organized by the NGO « International Partnership Foundation “Friends of Ukraine”».
In October 2025, the Foundation formed a group of Ukrainian community leaders to participate in an online training program at Stanford University as part of the “Visual Design and Construction” course.
Among the participants was Oleh Chernobai, Head of the Pisochyn Settlement Council.
During the program, he worked on the concept of an underground kindergarten for Pisochyn as his final project. The Stanford University team selected the project as a model and contributed to the design of the facility.
As a result, international educational experience was transformed into a practical project implemented in a Ukrainian community. Today, the underground kindergarten can accommodate 260 children per shift and more than 500 preschoolers in two shifts. As a bomb shelter, the facility has a capacity of more than 1,000 people.
The NGO «Friends of Ukraine Foundation»continues to engage representatives of Ukrainian communities in international educational programs and partnerships, transforming international experience into practical solutions that contribute to the development and strengthening of Ukraine.