Millions of Ukrainians had to move from their homes as a result of the full-scale invasion that Russia carried out in Ukraine. Among them is Nataliia (not her real name), a brave teacher from the southern town of Melitopol. She decided to abandon everything she had, including a twenty-year-old job, because she could not stand under any circumstances living in Russia-occupied territory. But she did not give up, and now she teaches hundreds of children on the Internet.

Nataliia left her city intending to help more in the part of Ukraine that remained under the Ukrainian authorities. Occupying Russians turned Melitopol, which she loved so much, into a place where there were portraits of Vladimir Putin even on school walls. Ukrainian kids experienced an obligation to learn and sing the Russian anthem; moreover, they were forced to write “letters of support” for the Russian army soldiers. According to the curriculum, Ukraine was not a country, and any child who questioned this faced punishment against their parents.

Having noticed an immediate threat requiring resistance in order to save Ukrainian children from brainwashing, Nataliia decided to act together with some other former teachers. They made an online education system, the first one in the occupied territories. And she adds: “No one had done this before, not in Crimea, or the occupied Donbas, Kherson, or Zaporizhzhia regions.”

There are many dangers associated with operating distance education. Knowing that her enemies learned important data about her family –home address, etc., Nataliia proceeded carefully. But she was not afraid and wrote a harmless letter in which he invited parents who support Ukraine or Russia to go to the same event without knowing what side they were on.

The internet platform is a protective environment that allows Ukrainian kids learning process focused on patriotism. Nataliia and her team work against Russian propaganda by teaching children how to think for themselves and be tolerant as well as teaching them about the rich history and culture of Ukraine. They hope that this project will produce strong and educated youth capable of making their country better in the future.

Nataliia stays firm in the face of adversity. She passionately speaks about how they have enriched the minds of these kids through their cyber lectures: “We try to rescue the Ukrainian kids’ mentality; we give them hope and awareness so that they can construct a brighter tomorrow.” 

Many people who also think that education is resistance rallied behind Nataliia’s drive. The number of kids under their care increases as more individuals get wind of what they are doing and entrusts their kids to this new kind of school. Parents believe that by doing so; they will make sure that the children do not lose their culture but instead remain proud Ukrainians in identity.

Amid adversity, Nataliia and her companions are heroes, unknown today, fighting for the freedom of their country tomorrow. Through this act, they show that Ukrainians are not a quiet and weak nation, that can easily be suppressed. It should be remembered that even in such circumstances when everything seems to be wrong education is knowledge that is a strong enough weapon for resistance aimed at saving national culture.

As Ukraine faces these difficulties, the work of people like Nataliia is very important. Her determination and strong support for education give some hope in the middle of disorder and insecurity.