Education ministry to investigate underground Russian church school in Kyiv

In a Facebook post on Jan. 6, the minister wrote that the very existence of a school promoting the “Russian world” in the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine defies explanation.

“In the capital of a country fighting for its survival, such a school isn’t just unacceptable — it’s a direct threat to children and to the state in which they live,” said Lisovyi.

Earlier the same day, investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info published a report on an underground Russian school masquerading as a “family club” on the premises of a monastery run by the Russian Orthodox Church in Kyiv. The curriculum at the Russian-language school is based on Soviet-era textbooks and steeped in Russian culture and imperial view on history.

The minister commended the journalists for their important work, saying the uncovered facts require a swift, tough, and transparent response.  

Lisovyi said he had verbally instructed the head of the State Service for Education Quality of Ukraine to immediately inspect all institutions where children were nominally registered as students but in fact studied in the secret school outlined in the investigation.

“All these facts must be thoroughly checked,” he said.  

He added that, as a matter of principle, the actions of administrators and teachers involved in the scheme would also be reviewed.  

“Based on the results of the inspections, there must be concrete and tough decisions regarding the organizers and those directly responsible for this teaching,” Lisovyi said. “This is not only about determining whether the institutions have the right to provide educational services but also about referring the materials to law enforcement.”  

He said Ukraine’s SBU security service must also evaluate the situation, as such activities could constitute subversive actions.