Prior to the Russian invasion last year of Makariv, in Kyiv Oblast, students and teachers at Teremok kindergarten were getting ready to celebrate spring.
“The children were preparing poems, spring songs, and greetings to their mothers,” teacher Tetiana Shumak says.
The school has an honoured place in the community because it provides specialized care to students with disabilities.
“Our kindergarten was the only one in the Makariv community providing such assistance. Parents of children with disabilities trusted us with their most treasured ones, and we helped them to rehabilitate,” says Tetiana.
Across town, Hanna Polyvach, who has taught at Barvinok kindergarten for 30 years, is also a cornerstone of the community. “We’ve brought up many generations,” she says.
When the invasion occurred in early March none of the schools were in session, but civilian infrastructure was heavily targeted and both kindergartens were obliterated. It was a devastating blow to the community.
“On 7 March I received a phone call that our kindergarten was on fire. There was a big fire. It was hard to watch. And when we were shown the back side of the building, it was clear it wasn’t there anymore,” Hanna says.
Tetiana’s school, which had once employed a psychologist and a speech therapist and a specialized caregiver, is also gone, and children with special learning needs have lost a lifeline.
“Unfortunately, now, these children stay home with their parents. There is no opportunity to organize such caregiving now,” she says. “Everything is ruined in the kindergarten, not just one building but also the boiler house, and the utility room.”
The community moved quickly to recover what they could from the wreckage.
“I was not scared of coming to the kindergarten,” Hanna says. “I came here as if to work. I knew there were some documents and some things in my office that needed to be saved.”
Volunteers from neighbouring towns also came to help, and they salvaged equipment and supplies such as chairs and tables.
“We gave it to another kindergarten that functions now,” Hanna said. “So that our children could come there and have some things.”
Debris removal is one of the big challenges of the Ukraine war, which is creating vast quantities of rubble. A damage assessment in just 40 localities in Kyiv Oblast showed there was enough to pave a road from Kyiv to Berlin.
Clearing it quickly and effectively is an essential part of the recovery process. Rebuilding cannot begin until the debris is gone and the land declared safe for reconstruction. Debris also needs to be sorted and dangerous materials, such as asbestos, disposed of safely.
It’s estimated that about 30 percent of the territory of Ukraine might require demining and cleanup.
As of May 2023, with financial support from Japan, UNDP has successfully cleared 439 buildings and locations from debris and damaged buildings, removing nearly 80,000 m3 of rubble. This is equal to the area of three St Sophia Cathedrals, an outstanding architectural monument in Ukraine.
UNDP is buying equipment to recycle the debris into reconstruction materials for road repair and other infrastructure works. This means less waste is disposed of in the environment and fewer natural raw materials will need to be quarried.
The two Makariv kindergartens have now been cleared of dangerous debris and the community is ready to begin rebuilding.
Hanna says her students and staff, who have been teaching in other schools in the meantime, are ready to start over.
© 2026 United Nations Development Programme
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