Dear friends!
Welcome to the Kryvyi Rih Waldorf School! Let us get to know you better and tell you a little about ourselves.
Our school is located in Kryvyi Rih – a city where iron ore is mined. It is a city of mines and quarries, plants and factories, a city of strength and labour – and at the same time the longest city in Europe, known as the ‘city as long as life’.
It was here, in 2002, that our Waldorf school was founded, and like the city itself, it has undergone a journey of formation and growth. Its history is a story of struggle, perseverance and gradual flourishing.
Our Waldorf school was born from the idea of creating a space where children can be themselves, where they are heard, seen and supported. The first impetus for Waldorf education in Kryvyi Rih came in 1992, when several teachers from general education schools began studying at an international seminar in Dnipropetrovsk, the regional city nearby Kryvyi Rih.
At first there were Waldorf-oriented classes within a general education school; later, in 2002, they became a separate institution comprising four classes (60 students) and a kindergarten group. This journey was fraught with challenges: a lack of resources, a lack of understanding from others, and the search for our place. Thanks to the teachers, parents and children, the school grew year by year. In 2010, the school became a warm, open, welcoming space where children from the age of 3 (two kindergarten groups) to graduates (11th grade) were happy to be.
Over the following years, we observed and rejoiced as the children who came to us in kindergarten during the first seven years of their lives gradually transformed from those who openly imitated the outside world into those who, in their third seven-year period, sought their own path toward their goals. These years, filled with the experiences of annual celebrations, class and individual projects, practical work and daily tasks, helped pupils to become self-assured, resilient in the face of life’s challenges and to develop resilience.
Today we live in a completely different reality. The war has changed everything. Our graduates have gone to defend the country; two of them are no longer with us here physically. Some students have left the country with their parents in search of safety, some of them have continued their studies at Waldorf schools around the world.
Since 2022, normal school life has been intertwined with sirens, air raid alerts, shelling, losses, and the need to react quickly to danger. When the air raid siren sounds, we are forced to take cover. We seek shelter in neighboring buildings, as we do not yet have our own safe space.
Our school has already been hit by shelling three times. It is very painful to see the damaged walls of a place where children’s laughter echoes, where celebrations and daily lessons take place. At the same time, we are grateful every time that the children were not in the school building during the shelling and destruction, and that everyone is safe.
Despite this, we are not giving up and are moving forward!
We are currently building our own shelter with the support of the ‘Friends of Waldorf Education’ Foundation. This is not just a construction project — it is our priority: children have the right to learn in safety; this is our belief in the future. We continue to work, teach and support one another. Today, the school has 10 classes with 241 students, and two kindergarten groups with 27 children. We are at school with the children every day, despite the difficult conditions. Unfortunately, due to reforms in education, we are losing our upper school (grades 10–12).
The teaching staff consists of 23 teachers and educators. Every Thursday we meet and work diligently. The school thrives on the voices and smiles of the children, in the eyes of the teachers, and through the joint efforts of the parents.
We greatly appreciate your attention and your desire to stay in touch with us. It is important for us to know that we are not alone, that somewhere far away there are people who care about our story. We believe this will be the beginning of a true friendship between us.
Thank you for your warmth, openness and support!
With sincerity and hope,
Our School Community from Kryvyi Rih
Website: http://kr-waldorf-nvk.dp.sch.in.ua/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/waldorf.kr