The Big Shelter: How Kyiv’s Metro Stations Became Essential Bunkers for Millions

For the city’s children, the experience is particularly jarring. Their playground has become a train platform, and the lullaby is the distant sound of explosions muted by a hundred meters of earth. Educators and parents try desperately to maintain some semblance of normalcy, organizing drawing sessions and lessons on the platforms, striving to shield young minds from the constant fear that permeates their existence. The resilience of these children, adapted to life in a deep underground bunker, is a heartbreaking measure of the war's impact.