September 01, 2020

Day of Knowledge and the Start of School


Day of Knowledge and the Start of School
Children going to school for the first time bring flowers for their teachers. Image by Schekinov Alexey Victorovich via Wikimedia Commons

Schools in the US begin classes sometime from the end of August to the beginning of September, depending on local government decisions. Regardless of when school starts in the US, there may often be mixed feelings about returning to classes or beginning school for the first time. In Russia, however, as in several post-Soviet countries, the beginning of school is greeted not with trepidation, but with celebration.

In Russia, all schools, no matter the regional politics, begin on September first. The only exception is when this date falls on a Sunday, in which case school starts on September second. The first day of school is not filled with boring discussions of syllabi or class rules, but rather greeted as a holiday— Day of Knowledge (День знаний, den znany). This holiday was officially established in 1984; before that, September 1 was a traditional academic day. Now, it is a day to celebrate teachers, students, professors, and the parents involved in their children’s education.

Anyone in Russia on September 1 will see smartly-dressed school children holding bouquets of flowers for their teachers. This is one tradition of the Day of Knowledge – showing respect and admiration for one's teachers and professors. Most schools also have assemblies to mark the auspicious day, although universities may only hold assemblies for incoming freshmen, while upper classmen go to their classrooms. This holiday is most of all dedicated to those who will be attending school for the first time (first-graders), or those beginning university (freshmen). Some schools even organize large parties for this holiday.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Day of Knowledge will look a bit different. President Putin is taking part in a video conference to mark the beginning of classes. Many regions are still holding school-wide assemblies, but with some restrictions. In Tomsk, for example, authorities are asking that entire families not attend the celebrations, but rather that each child be supported by no more than two family members. The assemblies will be held outside and not last longer than 20 minutes. Some schools are doing assemblies in shifts, to help promote social distancing.

Regardless of the format, this special holiday will still be a day to celebrate and remember the importance of wisdom and knowledge, and will mark the start of the academic year. In Russia, schools are returning to in-person instruction, with protective measures in place, such as taking students’ temperatures each morning and ensuring disinfections between class shifts.

You Might Also Like

A Village School
  • March 01, 2020

A Village School

As if trapped in a time warp, a remote village school in the Mari El Republic preserves a largely forgotten style of schooling, mostly cut off from the twenty-first century.
Petrov Goes Back to School
  • March 02, 2020

Petrov Goes Back to School

Guard duty sends an old villager back to school, and down a broad and dusty lane full of memories.
The Abandoned
  • July 01, 2017

The Abandoned

A family of animal defenders gets burned out of their home. All they want is to return, to help more animals.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955