In 1937 she entered the "All-Union Institute of Journalism" in Moscow but the school was soon closed and Apanovych returned to Kharkiv where she graduated from the Pedagogical Institute (Faculty of Russian language and literature) soon before the beginning of Second World War. After the onset of the German invasion she was evacuated to Kazakhstan and Bashkiria. From May, 1944, Olena worked in Central State Archive of Ukraine in Kiev as researcher and took part in preparation of many historical documents for publishing.