“After being a part of this community for over 18 years, I realised that the school is just the tip of the iceberg of the Ukrainian community in Manchester,” she said. “Through all these years, the unbreakable Ukrainian spirit has shone brightly, demonstrating resilience, unity, and an enduring commitment to preserving heritage. This spirit is not only a testament to their strength but also an inspiration to future generations, ensuring that the love for Ukraine and its traditions will continue to thrive no matter where they are in the world.”

The students themselves are also testament to this. Sofia Chymera, 16, is one of this year’s eight graduates and proud recipient of full marks across the board in her final exams. She has been coming to Ukrainian school every Saturday morning since she was four. 

Sofia told ManchesterWorld: “Yes, I've gotten better at Ukrainian, yes, I know how to read and write, but it's also my friends, having that Ukrainian community here in England. I feel connected to my culture, even though I am so far away from it. It's such a beautiful community. All the teachers really care about us, like we're their second children almost, it's just how close we get to them and how difficult it is to leave.”

Martyn, Sofia’s dad, is also very proud of his daughter’s achievements, a third generation Ukrainian himself. He said: “I think it's fantastic. When we were children, it was important not to forget our roots and the same applies to my children. I think it's really important and the fact that they can do so in a community really helps, it helps them engage and, as Sofia said on the stage earlier, I think she's made friends for life and I hope that is the case.”

Even though she can now have a lie-in on Saturday mornings, Sofia is sad to be leaving the school. Tears are shed by students and teachers alike as the graduates are handed their certificates, with Kateryna and Mrs Sawdyk, now the head of examinations, proudly watching from the sidelines. Their teacher has written personalised poems for each of them about their hopes and dreams for the future – architect, engineer, sportsman, teacher.

For Kateryna, moments like this are why she does this job. She says that the school has survived so long thanks to the hard work of the volunteers and teachers, who, as witnessed on stage, treat their students like family.

She said: “I absolutely love the way the school is functioning, the feeling of belonging not only for the staff but for children as well, especially for those who found shelter in the UK fleeing the war. In the school, they can find the home warmth and that feeling of being included.”

‘Little Ukraine in a foreign land’

The end of term celebrations are taking place on July 13, just days after Russia’s horrifying attack on the Okhmadyt children’s hospital in Kyiv. News of the war rarely makes headlines in the UK these days, but this story did. For the Ukrainian community, however, these ongoing atrocities are always in our thoughts. 

As part of her speech, the head of the school’s PTA, Natalya Iasinska, announces that they are collecting donations for the victims of the attack. The school has been very active in the wider community’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as welcoming and supporting the Ukrainians arriving in Manchester. The kids have been drawing pictures and putting together flash mobs to send to the soldiers on the frontline, to “cheer them up a little bit”, Natalya tells me. 

She said: “When children from Ukraine started coming to us following the war, we helped where we could, with things they needed, made them food, which we continue to do, moral support. People can always come in. There is always someone there. I go every Saturday with the other girls, helping whoever needs it, either with words or with deeds, with whatever. We are always happy to help, always try to direct them to people who can help, people who know how to help, whether that's with learning or housing.”

The students have also been equally as welcoming to their new classmates. Sofia said: “It was quite difficult initially, but everything sorted itself out. We all know each other, it's almost like they've been a part of our class since the very beginning, even though they came in year nine.

“It's tragic what's happening and what's still happening, and we do remember in our lessons. There's always that undertone, even though it's strange how we're having fun, we're celebrating while other children do not have this opportunity. So we do have that consideration while also finishing ourselves.”

One of the students graduating alongside Sofia is 16-year-old Sofiia Skorytska. She is from Mariupol, a once thriving industrial city on the Azov coast now reduced to rubble. Some may remember images of the city’s ruined theatre that was flattened despite the warning written in giant letters on the square in front that children were sheltering inside.

Sofiia is a talented ballerina and gracefully led her classmates in a farewell dance during their graduation ceremony. Dancing used to be her ambition, but now she’s considering studying criminology and law in the future. Like Sofia, she is reluctant to say goodbye to the school and plans to return as a teaching assistant next year. Sofiia told ManchesterWorld: “I've just really loved this school since the very beginning. But now I feel more grown up, I can do more.

“It was really difficult when I first arrived. I didn't know much English, I started English school and I was so worried about it. But when I started Ukrainian school I started to get to know other people my age, other Ukrainians, and it made life so much happier. I made friends, I started to go out, and I've enjoyed it all. I feel like part of this big Ukrainian family because these last two years I've been part of this group, I already know everyone. I just feel like this is my second family, so I don't want to let go of it.”

Kateryna sums it up well: “For our students who were born in the UK or live here for a longer time, school gives a chance to learn about their motherland, practise the language, study the traditions of Ukraine and deepen the connections with their heritage. For those children who came to the UK fleeing the war, our school became a safe place for communication and education that may not be available for them in schools in Ukraine anymore. We are the ‘little Ukraine’ they were very happy to find in the foreign land.”

‘Knowledge is a weapon against our enemy’

Now that the school is growing and thriving, Kateryna and her hard-working team of volunteers are ready to take things to the next level. They want to modernise the resources and teaching techniques, install smart boards and replace the old furniture that has been there since way before my time.

She said: “This year we had only eight children who graduated from the school, but in the coming years there might be 10, 15, maybe 20 pupils in each class. We should be prepared for that and the hard work it will involve over the coming months and years.”

At the same time, she also feels the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Keeping the school alive means keeping Ukrainian traditions, language and culture alive in Manchester.

“However, we are not afraid of this work,” Kateryna said. “We shall always remember that knowledge about Ukraine gives us all strength, and nowadays it is our weapon against any enemy. It is very important to know the more than a thousand-year history of our country and to defend it when someone says that Ukraine did not exist.

“To know our geography, our beautiful land, our wonderful mountains and seas, and with this knowledge to protect not just the territory, but the incredible places where our identity has been created at different times over many centuries. We must know our culture, hear the Ukrainian word, because in our culture, in literature, in poetry - the answer to all important questions of life. We must remember that Ukrainians are special people, and make sure the Ukrainian children grow as true patriots of their Motherland no matter where they live now or will be living in the future.”