Mykolaiv will not complete shelter repairs at Lyceum №38 before the new academic year

Mykolaiv Lyceum No. 38 named after Volodymyr Dmytrovych Chaika. Photo from the DREAM platform

The refurbishment of the basement at Lyceum №38 named after Volodymyr Chaika in Mykolaiv will not be completed by 1 September. Work on the site is currently ongoing, but due to additional work and the need to amend the project documentation, the renovation is now expected to be completed in early December 2026.

This was announced by Dmytro Sichko, a city councillor representing the «Propozytsiia» party.

According to him, with the new academic year approaching, four working meetings have been held at the site over the past two weeks. These were attended by the contractor, representatives of the Capital Construction Department, the designers, the technical supervisor and the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

«On a positive note, the contractor is working actively; at present, the focus is mainly on external concrete works. In the last week alone, six lorries of concrete were delivered, and a further 15 lorries are planned for the near future,» the councillor noted.

In particular, the concrete works are necessary to reinforce the school’s walls and install emergency exits for the children.

At the same time, during the renovation, the contractor has encountered problems left over from the previous contractor. Due to the identified shortcomings, it has become necessary to carry out additional work and make changes to the project documentation.

Renovations at Lyceum No. 38 in Mykolaiv: Photo: Dmytro Sichko/Facebook

Renovation work at Lyceum No. 38 in Mykolaiv: Photo: Dmytro Sichko/Facebook

Renovation work at Lyceum No. 38 in Mykolaiv: Photo: Dmytro Sichko/Facebook

According to Dmytro Sichko, the process of making these changes could take around two months. This is currently affecting the deadline for completing the renovation work.

«We won’t finish the work by 1 September, and we won’t be able to open the classrooms for our children,» said Dmytro Sichko.

At the last working meeting, the parties provisionally agreed that all work would be completed in early December 2026. However, the final deadlines will depend on how quickly the necessary changes to the project can be made.

Dmytro Sichko noted that the contractor is currently working continuously, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, the renovation is scheduled to be completed in December.

It should be recalled that earlier this spring, the Capital Construction Department (CCD) signed a contract with a contractor to complete the refurbishment of the basement at Lyceum №38 named after Volodymyr Chaika, with a view to converting it into a civil defence shelter.

The shelter at Lyceum No. 38

Back in June 2024, the contract to refurbish the shelter at Lyceum №38, worth 20 million hryvnias, was awarded to the company «Maister Bud-Montazh». The work was not completed on time, and the public prosecutor’s office is demanding that a fine and compensation for losses be imposed on the contractor.

The contractor received 11.5 million hryvnias. However, according to the investigation, some of the work may have been carried out with inflated volumes and costs. Total losses are estimated at 2.8 million hryvnias, with overpayments for technical supervision recorded separately.

It later emerged that the State Architectural and Construction Control Authority had not inspected the shelter at Lyceum №38 in Mykolaiv, where work has been unable to be completed for the third year running. The department noted that restrictions on inspections have been in place since the start of the war: inspections can only be carried out with the consent of the relevant ministry.

As is well known, Mykolaiv Lyceum №38 named after Volodymyr Chaika was ranked among the top three general education institutions in the Ukrainian rankings based on the results of the 2023 national multi-subject test.