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

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
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.
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.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
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.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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