"The renovations are great, but the doors are locked": in Mykolaiv, a 100-person shelter is inaccessible to residents

During a strike, the doors may not open: another shelter in Mykolaiv is inaccessible to people

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30 Jul 2026

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After the publication by Korabelov.info about problems with access to the shelter in the yard at Spaska Street, 48, the editorial office received another message from a resident of central Mykolaiv. This time it concerns the protective room in the building at Central Avenue, 171.

According to the reader, there is a shelter in the building designed for 100 people. The room is in good condition and renovated, however residents of neighboring buildings allegedly cannot use it during an air alarm.

The author of the appeal claims that in 2022 the shelter was opened during air alarms, but later this stopped. Residents appealed to the local authorities and received an official reply.

As the woman said, the reply stated that the premises are used by the library, so its staff allegedly independently decide whether to open it or not. At the same time, according to the reader, the premises are marked in documents and on the city map specifically as a shelter. A copy of the official response was not attached to the message, so the editorial office cannot currently verify its exact wording.

The resident pointed out the contradiction between the city authorities’ calls during air alarms to immediately head to shelters and the actual ability of people to access such premises.

“Good evening! I want to provide information for your post regarding shelters. On Central Avenue, in building 171 there is also a shelter. It is in good condition, repairs have been done there, for 100 people. In 2022 it was opened during alarms, then they stopped opening it. We officially appealed to the local authorities, who replied that this is the library’s premises and they themselves decide whether to open it or not, and on documents it is indeed a shelter, it is on the shelter map. They also wrote that this shelter is exclusively for the library’s staff and visitors. I provide this information just for your awareness. We no longer expect anything from the authorities, as we received an official refusal. One question, when local groups write “everyone to shelters” what does that mean, if all the city’s shelters are closed. But they made nice repairs )) in the end, it all comes down to the fact that during alarms and shelling people are forced to stay in their homes, because there is simply nowhere to run to hide, there are no shelters, or they are closed.”

The new appeal confirms that the problem of shelters in Mykolaiv is not only the lack of repairs, ventilation, water, or seating. Even an equipped protective room will not save people if they encounter locked doors during a Russian attack.

It is also unclear why a shelter marked on the city map is allegedly intended exclusively for the staff and visitors of a particular institution. Residents of neighboring buildings should know in advance whether they can access it, where the entrance is located, and who is responsible for opening it.

Korabelov.info is ready to publish explanations from the Mykolaiv City Council, the relevant department, and the library administration regarding the status of the shelter at Central Avenue, 171 and the procedure for access to it during an air alarm.

The shelter at the children’s library on Central Avenue, 173/4 does indeed exist. At the start of the full-scale war it accepted residents of the district around the clock, and in 2024 the premises were renovated for over 1.46 million hryvnias. However, later access was limited by the library’s working hours and its staff and visitors.