Julia Gush
Many Kharkiv schools were destroyed during the full-scale invasion. But the history of the 134th school is special. On February 27, 2022, it became a battlefield with the Russian invaders. The enemy tried to break through the defenses of Kharkiv. A unit of the the military intelligence agency of the Russian Federation in four “Tiger” armored cars entered the city and occupied the school premises. Ukrainian military, police, territorial defense fighters and volunteers came out against the Russians. The battle lasted from nine in the morning until ten in the evening. During the battle, the invaders were eliminated. After that date, the Russian army never entered Kharkiv.
As a result of the fighting, the school was destroyed. A large-scale fire broke out on the spot, which burned it from the inside. Part of the building collapsed. Nevertheless, a sports ground near the school remained unharmed and it is still in use today. This school was a monument of architecture. It was built in 1936 according to the project of an unknown German architect. The school was able to survive the bombing during the Second World War. Since 1961, it has had the status of a specialized school with in depth study of German. Also, the 134th school was considered one of the best educational institutions in Kharkiv.
134th school. Photo by Julia Gush. August 16, 2022
The publication was financed by the Internews Network and the NGO “INSTITUTE OF MASS INFORMATION” within the framework of the “Media Program in Ukraine” project