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Ukraine: From silence to science — DRC renovated a whole floor of the lyceum in Mykolaiv
For a long time, the third floor of the Professor Aleksandrov Lyceum in Mykolaiv stood silent. Once filled with the noise of lessons and curious questions, it had fallen into disrepair and was later damaged by shelling. Doors were closed, classrooms unused, and a vital part of the school was no longer safe for students.
Yet learning at the lyceum never stopped. Despite difficult conditions, students continued to achieve strong academic results. What they lacked was not motivation or talent—but a space that matched their potential.
This is where the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, stepped in.
Through close cooperation with the Mykolaiv City Council and the education authorities, DRC led the full renovation of the lyceum’s third floor, transforming nearly 600 square metres of damaged and unused space into a modern, safe and inclusive learning environment.
The renovation went far beyond cosmetic repairs. Electrical networks and lighting were completely replaced, the heating system was restored, and new doors and windows were installed.
Corridors, classrooms, laboratories and bathrooms were fully renovated, including an accessible bathroom designed to meet inclusivity standards. Every detail was considered to ensure the space would be safe, functional and welcoming for all students.
A space designed for the future
Today, the once-abandoned floor is alive again. Students now attend lessons in modern chemistry and STEM laboratories, explore robotics and computer science, and study biology, psychology and other subjects in well-equipped classrooms.
DRC also provided modern furniture and interactive whiteboards, helping teachers bring lessons to life and encouraging hands-on learning.
“This initiative would not have been possible without the financial support of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the dedication of our team, who carried out a complete renovation of the third floor—including classrooms, corridors, and laboratories to create an inspiring and safe environment for learning,” said DRC Area Programme Manager Zoe Kostitsi-Papastathopoulou.
“We are proud to support projects like this, which open up new opportunities for students and invest in their future.”
More than renovation
For DRC, this project is about more than rebuilding walls. It is about restoring opportunity, dignity and hope in a city heavily affected by the war. By returning this floor to use, the lyceum can now offer better learning conditions to more students—ensuring that talent is not limited by damaged infrastructure.
As students walk the renovated corridors and conduct experiments in modern labs, the transformation is clear: what was once a symbol of destruction is now a place of possibility.
“This renovated floor now allows students to explore chemistry, robotics, computer science, and many other subjects. We are very pleased to have been able to contribute to this transformation and are especially grateful to the DRC team for their high-quality work,” underlined Jakob Hansen, Head of the Danish Embassy Office in Mykolaiv.
Through this project, DRC continues to demonstrate how targeted reconstruction can make a lasting difference—helping communities recover, strengthening education systems, and ensuring that even in times of crisis, learning moves forward.
