This week, the Lithuanian-built kindergarten Rūta opens in Irpin, a town north of Kyiv that was the site of Russia’s attempt to take the Ukrainian capital. The renovation cost almost 5 million euros and, given the shortage of childcare facilities, it is up for further expansion.
“The kindergarten had been hit by shells, there was quite serious damage, it had to be completely reconstructed. [...] The kindergarten now has space for 245 children and 60 staff,” according to Marijus Dunda, economy counsellor at the Lithuanian Embassy in Ukraine.
“There is a real need for pre-school institutions in Irpin, and it is likely that the number of children attending the kindergarten will be much higher,” Dunda told LRT RADIO, adding that all the spots at the kindergarten have already been filled.
The name Rūta – rue in Lithuanian – was chosen because it has the same meaning in both Lithuanian and Ukrainian, serving as a symbolic link between the two nations and easy to understand for the kindergarten pupils.
The first reconstruction projects in Ukraine were approved by the government a year ago. As Minister for Economy Aušrinė Armonaitė points out, the kindergarten in Irpin is not the only project Lithuanians are working on in the country that is defending itself from war.
“What we have already done and completed is the mobile settlement project in Borodianka [in Kyiv Oblast]. It cost just under 1 million euros and 36 families can be accommodated here. The settlement itself is mobile and temporary, but it is really well equipped and comfortable and, in fact, playful – there is a children’s playground outside,” she told LRT RADIO.
“Another major project we are working on is the renovation of a school in Borodianka. The budget for the project is almost 8 million euros. We believe that at least some of the spaces will be open to schoolchildren this autumn,” Armonaitė added.
When deciding what reconstruction work to undertake in Ukraine, according to Armonaitė, the Lithuanian government is actively cooperating with the Ukrainians themselves.
“First of all, of course, we consult both the central government in Kyiv and the regions and their leaderships. That contact with the local authorities gives us a better understanding of what are the very down-to-earth projects and facilities that Ukraine needs today,” she said.
“We do talk a lot about arms assistance, which is very important, and in this case it is still the most important. [...] However, Lithuania’s approach is that the reconstruction of Ukraine must start now, not after the war. Concrete projects such as the kindergarten Rūta [...] are proof that it is possible now, before peacetime,” Armonaitė added.
She estimates that the Lithuanian government’s total support to Ukraine, both humanitarian and military, adds up to one billion euros.
“These are impressive sums, and I believe that Lithuania is an example for other countries, perhaps even slightly richer ones, that they can also give,” she said.
Dunda, counsellor at the Lithuanian Embassy, welcomes the fact that Lithuanian businesses are also actively joining in the reconstruction work in Ukraine.
“We have not only government projects, but also private companies that are planning to rebuild, for example, a school in Bucha. [...] They are planning to build a very modern school, the likes of which we have never had in Lithuania,” he said.
“The school would generate its own electricity, [...] there would be enough attention to the microclimate and acoustics, and there’d be spaces to be used not only by the pupils but also by the local community. As far as I have been able to communicate with the Ukrainian authorities, they were very interested in this project,” Dunda added.
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