'Kyiv Rus' Gymnasium Forced to Close
The 'Kyiv Rus' Gymnasium, located in the Oskorky district of Kyiv, has been officially declared unsafe and closed due to the threat of a man-made disaster. The decision was prompted by systemic cracks in the walls, excessive sagging of floor slabs, and persistent water damage to the foundation. Consequently, students have been urgently moved to distance learning. This incident highlights ongoing concerns about construction quality and oversight in Ukraine's capital.
The school first opened in 2013, constructed by the company 'Kyivmiskbud'. Its opening ceremony that same year was attended by the then-Education Minister, Dmytro Tabachnyk. However, the building's condition raised alarms as early as 2015, when classes were suspended due to hazardous air quality. At that time, concentrations of formaldehyde, phenol, and ammonia were found to be 5-6 times above safe limits, a problem traced to substandard construction materials that required floor replacement and room decontamination.
Planned Response and Consequences
Authorities have approved a response plan. The school grounds will be fenced off, all in-person instruction is halted, and students will be transferred to other schools or continue learning remotely for the remainder of the academic year. A comprehensive building inspection is planned to determine the feasibility of a major renovation. The fate of the gymnasium and funding mechanisms for repairs will be discussed next on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Specialists from the Scientific Research Institute of Construction Production conducted the inspection, classifying the building's state as potentially dangerous. Oleksandr Kovtunov, Head of the Darnytsia District State Administration, confirmed the closure. He noted that planned actions include forming a parents' committee, a joint visit to the site this week, and inviting experts from the Technical and Economic Council and the National Security council to discuss solutions.
Thus, the 'Kyiv Rus' Gymnasium finds itself in a precarious situation, and any future steps regarding its fate will require thorough discussion and professional assessment.
The closure of the 'Kyiv Rus' Gymnasium serves as a serious warning about the state of school infrastructure in Kyiv, underscoring the urgent need for stricter quality controls in the construction and maintenance of educational facilities. While authorities promise to take measures to ensure student safety, questions about repair funding and timelines remain unresolved. The subsequent steps will likely impact the district's educational process and spark discussion among parents and the wider community.
The recent closure of the 'Kyiv Rus' Gymnasium underscores a troubling pattern in the city's educational infrastructure. As authorities scramble to address the urgent safety concerns, it is crucial to examine similar cases, such as another gymnasium recently identified as a significant emergency risk, which has led to a suspension of classes. For more details on this alarming trend in Kyiv's schools, visit this related report.