Playing in a peaceful childhood to the roar of rockets: what is the romance behind the opening of children’s railways and rowing sections in wartime?

On June 7, around 5:30 p.m., Kharkiv again came under massive shelling: Russian anti-aircraft missiles hit the area of ​​the Central Recreation Park and the Children’s Railway, where many adults and children were walking. As a result of the shelling, the head of the children’s railway was killed, and almost twenty people were injured. There could have been more victims, but fortunately, there were neither visitors nor pets on the territory of the children’s railway itself. However, in the spring, new seasons of young railway workers were opened in Kyiv, Dnipro and Rivne, and in the village of Donets in Kharkiv region, a rowing base and a children’s section were restored – with balloons, photos and slogans about the dream. At the same time, behind this solemn facade, silence accumulated about risks, responsibility and the line between a symbol of hope and potential danger for children. In Ukraine, where the war has long destroyed the concept of “far from the front”, an uncomfortable question remains silent: do children’s attractions have the right to exist within the reach of death?

Opening of children’s railways during the war

At the beginning of May 2025, a new season of children’s railways began in various cities of Ukraine. Openings took place in Kyiv, Rivne and Dnipro, in which hundreds of children were involved, in particular from the frontline regions. In Kyiv, about 50 children from Pavlograd, Nikopol, Ilarioniv communities of Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as from Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions came to the celebration. The age of the participants was from 5 to 16 years. The program included a trip on a steam-powered train, getting to know the museum of railway transport, participating in the work of a conductor and driving a hand rail. The children’s visit was organized within the framework of the “Side by Side: United Communities” initiative. The organizers of the event noted that its goal is the exchange of experience and new acquaintances between children from different regions.

At the same time, according to official reports of “Ukrzaliznytsia”, the movement of trains on other children’s railways has started. In Dnipro, in the park named after Lazar Globa, the start of the season began on May 3, and at the same time, summer production practice for 600 pupils began. Before the start of the season, station repairs were carried out here, the painting of the rolling stock was updated, and preventive inspections of locomotives and technical units were carried out.

In Rivne, the first flight of children’s trains took place on May 4, and 356 children started a similar practice there. Officials said that trains run on weekends, with plans to expand the schedule in the summer months. In the communications of the organizers, it was emphasized that children’s railways are considered as an important tool for career guidance work and extracurricular learning. In addition, it was noted that these facilities are a popular place for family leisure.

In all three cities, the launch of the seasons was accompanied by the presence of representatives of local authorities, photo reports and solemn informational messages about organizational and technical updates. In particular, the emphasis was on the historical tradition of children’s railways and the active participation of children in all stages of preparation.

However, it should be noted that the opening of the children’s railway season did not take place in Kharkiv this year, the decision to cancel the event was made due to the security situation in the city. Since the beginning of May, the children’s railway has been closed, visitors and children are not allowed on its territory. A different development of events at the moment of massive shelling would have turned into a tragedy that is even scary to imagine now.

Silence about the risks

In the conditions of the war, which has been going on for the fourth year, any attempt to entertain and occupy children is explained by an understandable impulse, and this is how the activities of children’s railways and other events in Ukraine are most often presented. However, against the backdrop of positive impressions and a romanticized atmosphere, there remains a question that is hardly discussed publicly: are the security risks for children during war sufficiently taken into account? And is it appropriate to organize such events right now? These questions were raised by IA “FACT” back in the spring in publications about the opening of children’s railways.

We also put them when we wrote about how the once-abandoned rowing base, located in the village of Donets in the Balakli region of the Kharkiv region, got a second lease of life during the war. Repair of the boathouse, replacement of windows, insulation of the facade, transition to autonomous heating — all this took place during the last three years. Now there are 20 children working at the base – one and a half times more than before the war. At the beginning of the war, the front line in this area was only 15 kilometers away, the surrounding areas were hit by “Hradi”, the situation was critical. However, after a certain stabilization in some parts of the territory, the local community decided to return to the initiative of teaching children rowing sports.

Training on Siverskyi Donka takes place regularly – children and adults practice as long as the security situation “permits”. According to the initiators, classes are canceled only in case of an air alarm, and in general the section functions stably. However, despite the inspiring stories and positive rhetoric, there are no explanations in public reports about how evacuation from the water is organized in case of a sudden threat. The head of the village, Anatoliy Nazdrachev, admits that the risks have not disappeared, dozens of “Shakhed” may fly over the region, alarms sound regularly. Despite this, he is convinced that delaying the development of infrastructure until the end of the war means losing the young generation. Therefore, the community decided not to wait, but to invest in sports facilities now.

However, against this background, the key questions are not voiced: how is the safety of children ensured during classes on the river? Who and when made the decision to allow children to practice? Which body gave the permission, is there an agreement of the State Emergency Service, is the current legislation on martial law taken into account? Boats are known to go out on the water, but there is no clarification as to how quickly the children should return to shore in the event of an alarm? How long does this process take and who is responsible for the safe return of each child?

Activities on the water, especially with the participation of children, require not only the enthusiasm and sports experience of the coaches, but also a clear algorithm of actions: what to do in case of an alarm signal, where the nearest shelters are located, who coordinates the evacuation. In conditions where the threat is real, these questions cannot remain unanswered. Safety should not depend only on the coach’s individual reaction, it should be systematic, predictable and guaranteed.

Fun, training, competition, inspiration, coming back to life – all this is really important for our children. However, without awareness of the risks, they turn into a beautiful picture that cannot withstand the impact of reality. So, now there is a shift in focus: from safety to activity, from responsibility to enthusiasm. However, at the same time, children need reassurance that adults have taken care of their safety. The concern is not to create an illusion of peace and a beautiful picture, but to reliably protect the child when the danger is real, especially in regions where every moment can start with an explosion. During a full-scale war, any decision must take into account both the desire for a normal life and, above all, real threats that have not disappeared anywhere. And in this balance, children are the most vulnerable link, so any sports or educational project must start with a clearly thought-out safety protocol.

In Ukraine, a constant and painfully familiar reaction mechanism of officials has been observed for a long time: they begin to draw conclusions only after a tragedy. And although this practice took root in peacetime, in the period of a full-scale war, its consequences become especially dangerous. Until there is an explosion in the crowd, there is no fire in a closed room, no one dies at the moment when everyone was sure that “everything is under control”, no one asks: were the safety requirements met, who specifically is responsible for what?

Only after a tragic incident, they usually begin to conduct official investigations, update regulatory documents and instructions, look back at omissions and look for the culprits, who often turn out to be convenient “scapegoats” instead of those who actually made decisions or ignored them. But all this after, when it is already too late, and not before. However, safety issues cannot depend on whether or not a high-profile tragedy has occurred. They must be part of the smart planning of any event before it begins, otherwise the price of error will be too high.