September 1st: Knowledge Day

Most Russian kids may not see it as a holiday, but September 1st is certainly a special date in Russia. On this День Знаний (Day of Knowledge, since 1984), knowledge is honored and celebrated – but of course, knowledge is not gained easily. So, September 1st is also the day when Russian children return to school (or go there for the first time). Accompanied by festivities, but once the первый звонок (first bell) rings, freedom and vacation are truly over.

Knowledge Day in Russia – First Day of School
(Thinking Doesn’t Hurt, 2020, 5 mins)

Приколы 1 сентября (September 1st Jokes)
(Пулька Папулька, 2018, 4 mins)

Great Insight in First Day of School for Russia’s First Graders
(RBTH, 11 mins)

Language Knowledge

And since it’s Knowledge Day: work on your (language) knowledge with Learn Russian Holidays – Knowledge Day (RussianPod101, 2018, 3 mins). See also (from the same channel) Russian Knowledge Day words with Katya (2016, 2 mins) and this vocabulary list.

Knowledge Day Music

In the podcast My favorite song about a school (Real Russian Club, 2019, 16 mins; listen on Apple or Spotify), Daria Molchanova talks about the song associated with this day: Учат в школе (They Teach at School). The lyrics – by Михаил Пляцковский (Mikhail Plyatskovsky) – can be found here; with translations on Lyricstranslate. Learn Russian with the Russian School Song “What is taught at school” with Tatiana Ley (2015, 14 mins).

Also, check out the Школьный РЭП (school rap, 2018) from Yekaterinburg, this artistic piece from the same year, this nursery rhyme (2016), or this dance (2015).

Also, the Лучшая Песня про 1 сентября (Best Song about September 1st) could not be omitted, of course.

More Russian Knowledge Day

Watch

• The 1st of September is the Day of Knowledge in Russia (Nataly Gal, 2019, 8 mins)
• Russia Celebrates Special Holiday – Millions of Children Heading Back to School (Vesti News, 2019, 7 mins)
• Первый звонок (Телеканал ДОМ, 2018, 3 mins)
• Back to School 2017: Russian Knowledge Day in a small town (Different Russia, 2017, 2 mins)
• 1st of September – The First Day Of School (Sergei Baklykov / Real Russia, 2014, 17 mins)

Check/read

• Schools in Russia (Russian Language Blog, 2020)
• 1 September: How do the Russians celebrate the Day of Knowledge (Alisa Goz, Russian Art & Culture 2019)
• День знаний в России (РИА Новости, 2019)
• Russia celebrates ‘Day of Knowledge’ (Olga Gorshkova, Russia Beyond 2012)
• Russia’s Day of Knowledge (Rus Language)
• Russia Knowledge (RussiaKnowledge.com)
• День знаний (Первый звонок) (КтоЧтоГде)
• Knowledge Day (Wikipedia)

Beslan

A darker aspect of Knowledge Day is tied to the hostage crisis in Beslan (2004) by Chechen terrorists. It began on September 1st and ended two days later in a tragic and bloody conclusion. Not pleasant to mention, but this too is knowledge.

See

• Russia: Beslan marks 15th anniversary of deadly school siege (Ruptly, 2019, 1 min)
• The Town Of Little Angels. Six years after Beslan school siege (RT Documentary, 2016, 26 mins)
• Letters to a Terrorist – 10 years after the terrorist attack on Beslan School #1 (RT Documentary, 2016, 24 mins)
• Terrorism, Russia: Beslan Hostages (AP Archive, 2015, 3 mins)

See/read:

• Wikipedia (English here)
• Fifteen Years After Beslan Tragedy, Emotions Still Run High (Rferl, 2019)
• Beslan siege: Russia ‘will comply’ with critical ruling (BBC, 2017)
• Inside the Beslan School Siege, 10 Years On (Time, 2014)

Last updated 09-12-2020