Image credits: Mash
A 45-year-old teacher in Russia's Dagestan region has spent nine years walking 14 kilometres through mountainous terrain every day to reach a school where just three children study.
Khadijat Magomedova, who serves as both the head of Khonok Primary School and its only teacher, reportedly takes around four hours to complete the daily journey to and from work. The school is located in the Shamil district, at an altitude of approximately 1,800 metres above sea level. Her route involves descending one mountain and climbing another, with steep paths and rocky terrain making the commute difficult.
After a video documenting her journey attracted attention online, residents suggested organising a fundraiser to buy her a car or horse to make the journey easier.
A four-hour journey through Dagestan's mountains
Magomedova's daily commute covers approximately seven kilometres each way, according to a report by Caucasian Knot published on October 26, 2026. The journey takes around two hours in each direction, meaning she spends approximately four hours walking to and from the school.
Her village and workplace are situated on different mountains. She reportedly leaves home at around 7 am, descends approximately 400 metres and then climbs towards the mountain where the school is located.The route is not an ordinary walk along a paved road. It involves difficult mountain terrain, making the journey physically demanding. Despite the challenges, Magomedova has continued the commute for nine years to teach the children at the remote school.
The teacher has encountered a wolf and a rockfall
The difficult terrain has exposed Magomedova to natural hazards. In a video shared on October 24 by the Instagram account makhachkala_, she recalled encountering a wolf during her journey.She described hearing the animal howl before seeing it sitting in a clearing. According to Caucasian Knot, the encounter ended without injury, and the wolf returned to the mountains.Magomedova also recalled experiencing a significant rockfall along the route.
These incidents illustrate the challenges she faces while travelling between the villages, although reports do not establish how frequently such encounters occur.The teacher has continued making the journey despite these experiences. Her story gained wider attention after blogger Semyon Rasputin documented her commute and shared details about the school's circumstances.
She is the school's director and only teacher
Magomedova heads Khonok Primary School in the village of Khonok in Dagestan's Shamil district.
She is also the school's only teacher, responsible for teaching all subjects to its three pupils.According to the reports, the school has two classes attended by two boys and a girl. Children from different grades study simultaneously in the same classroom, allowing lessons to continue despite the small number of students.Her responsibilities therefore extend beyond teaching. As the school's director, she also heads the institution, making her central to its continued operation.The available reports do not provide details about the school's budget, staffing arrangements or whether authorities have considered alternative transport options for her commute.
Residents suggest buying her a car or horse
Magomedova's story prompted an outpouring of responses on social media, with residents calling for practical assistance to make her daily journey easier.Some users suggested that the authorities should increase her salary and arrange transport.
Others proposed organising a fundraiser to purchase a car or horse so that she could travel to school more easily.Caucasian Knot reported that these suggestions emerged in response to the video documenting her journey. The proposals reflect public concern about the difficulties she faces while travelling through the mountains to teach the children.Magomedova's experience highlights the challenges of providing education in remote mountain communities, where difficult geography and limited transport can make access to schools complicated.