Ukrainian primary school in Hostomel reopens with EU support

Primary school No. 1 in Hostomel, Kyiv oblast, reopened on 27 April following a major European Union-financed renovation, following the damage inflicted during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

The school is now able to serve 120 pupils compared with the 67 before the renovation, enabling more local children to study in their own community, rather than in surrounding ones. It also has energy-efficiency upgrades, a backup power supply, and new spaces for digital learning, robotics and arts.

The school is located in a community that was heavily affected in the early weeks of a war, now in its fifth year. The works, which began in January 2025 and were completed this month, included replacing windows and doors, improving insulation and upgrading classrooms. 

The EU financing came through the European Investment Bank (EIB). It provided €511,000 in financing for the renovation, and €102,000 was received for renovation purposes from local funds.

“Reopening this school in Hostomel, a community that experienced the war at its most intense, is a powerful sign of recovery,” said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer, who visited the town for the occasion. “It shows how investment in essential infrastructure can restore opportunities for children and support communities.”

“Restoring schools is a key priority for the Government of Ukraine,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Oleksii Kuleba. “Our absolute priority is protecting people and the functioning of the communities – sequenced by season and by frontline geography.”

The support from the EIB came through its €340 million ‘Ukraine Recovery Programme’. The programme is one of three joint EU–EIB recovery initiatives delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine and local authorities, with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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Press release