Official name of the institution: Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1
Founded: 1936
Principal: Oksana Proskura
Teaching language: Ukrainian.
Starting in first grade, students study English and one of seven Oriental languages: Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Korean, Arabic, Persian, or Hindi.
Staff: There are a total of 113 employees at the gymnasium, 78 of whom are teachers.
Facilities:
There are classrooms, a gym, a dance studio, a safety hub, a library, a psychologist’s office, and a stadium to ensure a high-quality educational experience at the gymnasium.
Shelters and Protective Constructions:
The school has two basic shelters with areas of 278.5 m² and 278.6 m², which provide shelter for all students, staff, and employees of the gymnasium.
The institution is actively working to establish an internal system for ensuring the quality of education in accordance with its Development Strategy. Close cooperation has been established with the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University, the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv National Linguistic University, the Confucius Institute at Kyiv National Linguistic University, Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University, and Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University.
One of the key areas of the school’s development is its international activities, which are carried out on the principles of educational diplomacy, intercultural dialogue, and partnerships with diplomatic missions, international educational organizations, and educational institutions in various countries. The gymnasium operates as a UNESCO Associated School and is an active participant in international educational initiatives. The students of the gymnasium are members of the “Children—Ambassadors of Peace” Youth Peace Ambassadors Movement.
Current international agreements and memoranda of understanding: Confucius Institute at Jilin University (PRC), Education Center at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Yunus Emre Institute, eTwinning Ukraine. As part of the project “Bridges of Unity. The World in Children’s Hands,” online meetings are held between students of Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1 and students from Shiga Prefecture NAGAHAMA KITA High School (Japan), Shinjeong Girls’ Middle School (South Korea), Fr. Agnel School (Delhi, India), and other educational institutions in Eastern countries.
Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1 serves as a powerful hub for the educational experience exchange. On March 23, 2019, the school hosted the Regional (Un)conference Mini-EdCampKyiv titled “Educational Diplomacy.” During the 2025–2026 academic year, the school hosted large-scale events and partnership projects at the national level: the All-Ukrainian Forum “Space of Trust in School,” implemented in collaboration with the educational platform “Pro.Svit” and aimed at building a safe and open educational environment; the All-Ukrainian practical training session “eTwinning Ukraine” and other opportunities offered by the EU’s Erasmus+ Program; the All-Ukrainian conference “Reform of Upper Secondary Specialized Schools: Opportunities and Challenges for the Community”—held with strategic support from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project (“Decentralization for the Development of Democratic Education”); specialized training sessions from the international humanitarian organization IsraAID; a scientific and practical conference marking the 90th anniversary of Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1 in memory of Mykhailo Savchenko, Honored Teacher of Ukraine, local historian, and researcher, titled “Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Languages No. 1 in the Dialogue of Languages, Cultures, and Educational Systems: Value aspects of the formation of Ukrainian national identity.”
Our teachers are active participants and speakers at numerous educational forums and conferences, including: the scientific and practical conference “Educational Leadership as a Management Paradigm for the Success of the New Ukrainian School” held as part of the Thirteenth International Exhibition “Modern Educational Institutions—2022,” the International Scientific and Practical Online Conference “21st-Century Education: Theory, Practice, and Prospects,” the Master’s Mini-EdCamp Varash Lyceum 4 “Modern Educational Institution—A Safe Educational Space,” the Master’s Mini-EdCamp Kolomyia “Kolosvita: Synergy of Partnership and Space for Sustainability,” and the “Teachers of the Future” Festival (2025, 2026)
The gymnasium has established a safe and barrier-free educational environment where the physical and psychological safety of students is guaranteed. Interaction among all participants in the educational process is based on the principles of child-centeredness, equality, tolerance, academic integrity, and the prohibition of bullying, violence, and child abuse. Special attention is given to the work of the psychological services, which play a key role in ensuring the psychological health and emotional well-being of all participants in the educational process. The psychosocial support program for staff was implemented through a series of specialized training sessions provided by the international humanitarian organization IsraAID; psychologists and educators completed training on the “Mental Guard: Kyiv UA” global platform.
The educational system at the school is built around socially significant goals and values, such as humanism, tolerance, volunteerism, and philanthropy. The gymnasium actively participates in charitable initiatives.
Since February 24, 2022, our gymnasium has been providing shelter to residents of the neighborhood and organizing volunteer assistance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The school runs an ongoing campaign called “Family Warmth—For the Defenders of Ukraine” and holds “Charity Monday” events in collaboration with the “Leadership Initiative” NGO, the “Ukrainian Thought” Charitable Foundation, and the “High School Student” district association, as well as charity fairs for Ukrainian Armed Forces Day, the “Together to Victory!” Easter fair, and the “Easter Basket for Defenders” campaign.