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 Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

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.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
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.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
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.

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