We won’t hear the bangs,” Elmira told CNN from her classroom, cloaked in double glazed windows that help dampen the noise of the world outside. Given the limited space in the metro school, Elmira is forced to study from home every other day. But studying underground means a school day without disruption, safe from the bombs and the fear of the sirens. In classes where children have lost their fathers, mentions of dads are carefully navigated, Rudakova told CNN. But as much as the metro school is a haven, it’s not the school the kids really want.

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Persons: Joseph Ataman, Olena Dergousova, ”, Olena Rudakova, “, Ihor Terekhov, ” Terekhov, –, Kharkiv’s, it’s, CNN ‘, Rudakova, ” Rudakova Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Elmira Dergousova, Elmira, CNN, ”, United Nations Human Rights, UN, School Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russian, Poland, Elmira, Kharkiv’s, Moscow, Russia