Slidstvo.info: In Kyiv, a "school" operates at a monastery, where they teach using Soviet textbooks

Since February 2025, a semi-legal school at a monastery has been operating in Kyiv, where children are taught Soviet textbooks, shown Russian films, and forced to memorize poems by Russian poets. This is stated in the investigation Slidstvo.info.

The journalists said that the institution operates at the Holosiivska Pustyn monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Although the director calls the institution a "family club," it operates as a regular school: children study five days a week from 09:00 to 14:00, and there is an after-school program.

At the same time, the children's documents are kept in licensed Ukrainian schools for formalities, although they do not study there. The parishioners of one of the Kyiv churches of the UOC-MP send their children to the underground institution.

The journalist pretended to be a woman who wanted to enroll her relative's child in an educational institution. To find out the details of the "school's" functioning, she talked to the director, teachers and parents of the students.

The investigators managed to find out that more than 60 children are currently enrolled in the institution – students from the first to the ninth grade. The head of the institution, Anna Bolgova, said that 16 teachers work there.

According to journalists, the school follows the Soviet system of education. For example, the usual four classes of primary school were reduced to three.

In addition, the curriculum for the first grade includes a subject called "Slavic language." The primary school teacher explained that this is "like Russian". She claims that because it is not a state institution, they "can afford it". At the same time, the teacher assured that the teaching is in Ukrainian. But the mother of one of the students said that children are taught "fifty-fifty", that is, half in Russian.

During the tour of the school, the journalists were able to familiarize themselves with the textbooks used by first-graders. Among them, for example, is an arithmetic book published in 1966.

The principal said that the curriculum includes the subjects "Film" and "Music". In these classes, children are shown Russian films and forced to sing Soviet songs. The staff themselves call their school a "family club".

"We exist in the format of a family club. We really like it because, first of all, we have a different program. This way, no one can touch us. The parents are here, the children are enrolled in a distance school. We gathered and study here in addition. This is our personal business," Bolgova said.

The mother of one of the schoolgirls said that her daughter's documents are in a private lyceum that has a license, and she attends school in an institution attached to a monastery. This is the Rancho Skul Lyceum in Khotynivka. The journalists, also under the cover of a legend, talked to its director Yana Kozhema. She admitted that the children were simply "registered" with her. And the school at the monastery allegedly just transfers grades.

Another school that helps to support the institution is the educational complex "Secondary school of I-III degrees – preschool educational institution" Of the Kostyantynivka City Council in Donetsk Oblast. A teacher officially works there, and the journalists spoke with her.

State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine said, who read the journalistic investigation, which deals with the possible functioning of an illegal educational center in Kyiv, as well as alleged violations of the legislation in the field of education.

On behalf of the Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovoy the service will verify the facts presented in the story. The agency, together with law enforcement, will take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We emphasize that in the fourth year of a full-scale war, the issue of compliance with legislation in the educational sphere, protection of children's rights and prevention of any manifestations of anti-state ideology in the educational environment is a matter of national security," the statement said.

The Security Service of Ukraine in a comment LIGA.net reported that it is investigating possible illegal activities on the territory of the UOC-MP monastery "Holosiivska Pustyn" as part of criminal proceedings. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

• On August 28, 2025, it became known that the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience recognized The UOC-MP is affiliated with a foreign religious organization whose activities are prohibited in Ukraine.
• As of the end of December in Ukraine continued to 7,826 churches of the Moscow Patriarchate operate.