Ukrainian universities are now learning to live in a new reality. Like the rest of the country, they provide shelter to those in need, defend themselves from the enemy, and suffer losses in the war with Russia. ‘Svit’ launches a series of materials about the life of our universities under martial law, starting with the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”.
On February 25-26, about 5,000 students were on the KPI campus. And on March 9 there were less than a thousand left. The shelters of Kyiv Polytechnic have also become a temporary refuge for students, professors and their families living in professorial buildings in the University area, as well as for residents of neighboring microdistricts.
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM
According to the Rector of KPI Michael Zgurovsky, the life support system (in the full sense of this word) was organized for all these persons. The seats in shelters are arranged for them, the Student Nutrition Center and volunteers from among students and staff have organized meals, and there is medical support, including medicines and consultations with doctors and psychologists. Thus, the conditions for human safety have been created within the confines of the University, which are maximum possible at this time.
The second important task facing the University is to ensure the viability of its huge infrastructure. The territory of KPI is 160 hectares, with about 80 large buildings: educational buildings, dormitories, public facilities (Library, Center for Culture and Arts). It is clear that all these facilities need engineering support.
– In order to organize the whole set of works, the Main Operational Headquarters was created, which is responsible for providing essential services and safety of people in the University area. In addition, operational headquarters have been established at faculties and educational and research institutes. The whole system works orderly. Certainly, people are not in high comfort, but it is very important that psychologically they understand that there is a system, there is security, so they are calm.
Recently, economic services put into operation a pumping station complex. Even if the centralized water supply and electricity are turned off, thanks to this well and the generator the KPI residents and the residents of the neighboring houses will have water.
SABOTEURS WILL NOT PASS
In fact, all KPI staff and students who are here, are involved in providing essential services for such a large and important structure as the University, its campus and the entire territory.
They guard the territory, are on watch and solve urgent issues of the University’s functioning.
In cooperation with the National Police, the National Guard and the Territorial Defense of Kyiv, a round-the-clock watch is organized; there are mobile patrols because it is difficult to walk around the whole territory on foot.
The recent events evidence that the front line is close. For example, recently two saboteurs transporting weapons were detained in the KPI area during the curfew. The University patrol noticed these attackers. According to the Rector, there were other cases when outsiders entered the territory of the KPI; they were detained by members of the Territorial Defense together with representatives of the University Security Department.
About one hundred video surveillance cameras are installed in the KPI area. ‘Svit’ visited the central console, there are two persons on duty day and night. “We are watching the buildings and streets,” said Vladyslav Nechyporenko, Head of the University’s IT Department. “We monitor the order. In case of violations, we report to the Duty Unit or the Police, if the case is serious.
STUDENTS ON WATCH
There are checkpoints in the University area, where students – volunteers of territorial defense are on watch. One of the checkpoints is similar to the Maidan barricades: cement blocks, tanks and old furniture were needed for its construction. Most of the “building materials” were collected by students themselves.
As Oleksandr Zuyev, a student of the Faculty of Engineering and Chemistry, and Oleksandr Shevchenko, a student of the Faculty of Radio Engineering, told ‘Svit’, the shifts last for two hours, in the morning and in the evening.
– We check documents of drivers and passers-by, – the guys say. – In KPI there are stand-by persons in dormitories, and they warn if someone suspicious passes along the street.
We check people who break curfew.
The mood of the defenders is cheerful. “We don’t want the occupiers to seize our University,” the students say in unison. They will “treat” the uninvited to Molotov cocktails, or, as they say today, “Bandera smoothie”: bottles are ready.
Anastasia Tyutyunnyk, a student of the Faculty of Linguistics, also helps the boys to rebuild the barricade. “Girls are on duty on the floors, arranging life, cooking,” she says. “Personally, I do not want to leave the University. If everyone leaves, then who will stay here. Everyone has to do something, be in his/her place, and then we will definitely win.”
LIFE IN SHELTERS
There are about ten shelters in the KPI, in different buildings and dormitories of the University.
What is on the menu today, what medications do students and staff need, do they have light and warmth in each shelter? Nataliia Seminska, Vice-Rector of KPI for Educational Work, and Oleksandr Ishchenko, Director of the Campus, know the answers to these and many other everyday questions. Together with them we learned how life is organized in shelters.
We start our impromptu tour at the building number one. The thick walls of the building of the early twentieth century saw the bombing of World War II, but then survived. In the basement, where people live, fresh flowers immediately catch the eye – after all, recently it was March 8.
During the day, the shelters are sparsely populated – when there is no acute situation, people go in their own causes, but before the curfew they return to the shelter.
The Faculty of Management and Marketing acquired a new generator and is ready to face the power cut. Specialists of the Mechanical Engineering Institute installed new wiring. The residents of the shelter are not only worried about their own safety, they ask the University management what useful things can they do? For example, they are ready to weave nets right now. “It’s nice to know that KPI members are one big family, where everyone supports the other no matter what happens,” – these words are permanently heard in University chats.
In particular, the Faculty of Management and Marketing permanently delivers products, equipment and medicines to students and colleagues who remained on campus and hid in shelters.
The Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management things of possible power outages and now KPI has another generator.
The KPI Library provided disposable tableware, tea and sugar.
Colleagues from other universities also help. In particular, a cargo with humanitarian aid from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv – 25 boxes – recently arrived at the KPI.
In one of the shelters, we talked to students of the Faculty of Electronics.
Maksym Magula decided to stay at the University, because on the first day of the war his native village was occupied by the enemy, and it is unrealistic to go there, there is fighting.
Oleksiy Yama, a graduate of the Faculty of Electronics, wanted to enter graduate school this year. He also decided to stay, saying that KPI became his home. The guys maintain order, are on duty at the barricades. They say that they have everything.
The native city of the student of the Faculty of Electronics, Valeriia Yelizarova, also periodically receives “gifts” from the enemy, so the girl decided that it would be safer to stay at the KPI. Even in spite of the war, on March 8, the boys greeted their girlfriend with cakes. “Parents call us, they know how their children are here,” said Lyubov Koshil, the dormitory’s manager.
As for “operational” procurement, the current situation is that the University can spend money only on protected items of its budget, including salaries and scholarships. “That’s why if medicines are needed, the University cannot use the funds,” Michael Zgurovsky told ‘Svit’. – By this reason we organized ourselves and formed the special fund to support the KPI. People who want to help the University, make contributions, they are partners of our University, parents of students. The money from this fund is used to purchase fuel for cars, food and medicines on a daily basis. It would be very difficult without such a fund.”
An important detail is that the University’s Accounting Department works day and night so that scholarships and salaries are paid on time. The staff even asked to provide a special room for them so that there would be a place to spend the night if they did not have time to do everything planned before the curfew.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Vacations at KPI are extended until April 1, 2022. The relevant order was issued on March 9.
– In this situation, we do not see the possibility of interrupting the vacations, – Michael Zgurovsky commented on this decision. – It is simply impossible to organize the educational process now. Many professors are forced to deal with completely different problems.
Many students are involved in self-defense, volunteering, they are also not ready to study.
So, until the fighting is over, I think that the educational process, unfortunately, is unrealistic. It is difficult for people now to focus on anything other than their own safety and the safety of their families.
HAPPY END OF ONE STORY
Many people lost their homes during the war, and some were unable to contact relatives, friends and colleagues.
Serhiy Sydorenko, the KPI’s Vice-Rector for International Relations, found himself in the territory temporarily occupied by the enemy, not far from the Zhytomyr highway. According to Michael Zgurovsky, there was no contact with him for several days. “We wanted to evacuate him from there, but failed,” the Rector added. “It was impossible to get there.”
Fortunately, this is a story with a happy end. Just during our conversation, Serhiy Sydorenko called the Rector and said that he was already in Kyiv, he managed to get out using the humanitarian corridor.
MAY HEROES’ MEMORY LIVE FOR EVER
Unfortunately, the University family suffered first losses. Dmytro Arsenovych, a student of the Faculty of Power Electrical Engineering and Automation, fell in battle, defending Kyiv in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. One KPI graduate was killed while defending the town of Bucha.
Dmytro SHULIKIN
Photo by the author