Progress of the renovation of the bomb shelter in the Strumochok kindergarten (Druzhnia village)

Renovation work continues in the bomb shelter of the Strumochok kindergarten in the village of Druzhnia, Kyiv region. Volunteers of the B50 community are transforming this basement with empty grey walls into a comfortable space for children to stay there for a long time, room by room.

We would like to remind you that in the summer we started work at two locations at once. The Reconstruction and Shelters projects worked on renovating and decorating two shelters located in kindergartens near Borodianka. The works at the Yalynka kindergarten shelter (Mykulychi village) are in the final stages, while at the Strumochok shelter volunteers continue to visit this large-scale location.

B50 was tasked with reconstructing 2 large halls, 2 small bedrooms, common rooms (corridors and vestibule) and decorating the shelter with drawings to make it truly a child-friendly space.

We are transforming the shelter room by room so that the children can still use it when needed, starting with the largest room, which we have named “Energy”. The shelter has a general theme of “Harmony”, because this is what we want for the villagers and young children who had to use these basements as a shelter during the occupation of Druzhnia. We want to make the walls of this shelter bright and cosy, fill them with new meaning and add colours and drawings that will help restore inner harmony and combine peace and active childhood. Two large halls were named “Energy” and “Rhythm”, and small rooms were named “Warmth” and “Inspiration”.

Almost all the renovation work has now been completed in the “Energy” hall, where it was necessary to complete the insulation of communications and install new lamps.

The entrance group has also been renovated. The common vestibule, from which the rooms diverge, and the corridors have a new bright look. Now the work is in full swing in the Inspiration room and the second large “Rhythm” hall.

The team of the Shelters project has also started its work here! The outlines of future murals that will decorate these walls are already appearing in two rooms. Using a projector, we transfer the sketches to the wall, and then, thanks to high-quality and non-toxic paints, we fill them with colours.

The ‘Energy’ room will be decorated with two murals, one of which will be placed in a niche where beds will be placed, and the other — around the perimeter, where children will be able to conduct active and energetic activities — dancing, sports and games. In the “Inspiration” room, children will soon be greeted by romantic dinosaurs. The murals for these rooms were created by young designers, graduates of the Ampli teen accelerator, Valeria (“Energy”) and Anna (“Inspiration” and “Warmth”), whom we will tell you about soon, and the “Rhythm” room will be decorated with Alina’s mural.

The B50 community volunteers work every weekend to help this kindergarten have a shelter where children will not be afraid to stay, even for many hours in a row, where they can continue to play, develop and feel comfortable.

This became possible thanks to the Prospero World Foundation, which supported B50 and provided us with a grant to purchase the necessary construction materials for the renovation of the shelter.

Join our trips or support the B50 community to protect little Ukrainians and give them peace of mind today and in the future.