The underground passage at the Arkas Lyceum is to be used as an additional access route to the shelter

An underground passage in the basement of the Mykola Arkas Lyceum in Mykolaiv. Photo: Kirill Vitvitsky, NikVesti

In Mykolaiv, an underground passage was discovered last year at the Mykola Arkas Lyceum during emergency repair work at foundation level. Plans are now in place to reinforce the arch and preserve its authentic appearance, as well as to use it as an additional access route to the shelter.

This is mentioned in the NikVesti article «Reconstruction of the Arkas Lyceum in Mykolaiv is scheduled for completion in 2027».

«We’ll reinforce it and tidy it up a bit — that’s our plan. At the same time, we’ll leave the arch open so that it’s clear it was here. We don’t know for certain what it was used for or why it’s here. We plan to reinforce it, particularly on the left side, clean it up and, possibly, install a mesh to prevent anything from crumbling. Scientific support has been brought in for the project, so other specialists will now be investigating this arch,» explained civil engineer Vira Sarra.

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As a reminder, at the Mykola Arkas Lyceum, the contractor has completed the construction of a shelter covering an area of approximately 714 square metres. According to the project documentation, it is designed to accommodate 434 pupils, as well as 51 staff members — the school’s teaching and technical personnel.

The Arkas Lyceum during the war

The historic building of the Mykola Arkas Lyceum was destroyed on 1 November 2022 during the bombing of Mykolaiv by Russian forces. As a result of the shelling, part of the wall at the lyceum collapsed, exposing the interior of the classrooms, and the roof above the façade was damaged.

Ukrainian architects presented options for the reconstruction and restoration of the Lyceum to the Danish Ambassador, Ole Egberg Mikkelsen. In turn, he assured them that the city authorities would choose the reconstruction option themselves. Following this, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych announced that the Lyceum would be restored whilst preserving its authentic appearance.

Work on rebuilding the school began as early as the winter of 2025. Its reconstruction is being funded by the Danish government, and the work is being supervised by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Read also the article by NikVesti «Don’t lose the building. Reconstruction of the Arkas Gymnasium has begun in Mykolaiv». The plan was to restore the building’s damaged faсade by October 2025.