School bells

[mendeleyev]

www.mendeleyevjournal.com

School is out! It is called "last bell" and students are celebrating this weekend before Monday which marks the beginning of the state unified exams (Единый государственный экзамен) which are required for students to move up to college/university.

Real diplomas are not awarded until the exams have been passed. The state exam, commonly known by the initials EGE (ЕГЭ) is uniform across the nation.

On 25 May students observe a tradition known as "last bell" (Последний звонок) which includes day-long festivities of programs, drama plays, parades, dances and the symbolic ringing of the "last bell" of the school year. Teachers congratulate the students for their years of study and wish them well in their future.





During an assembly the younger students present graduating 11th graders with balloons which the seniors release outside together.








Typically girls wear Soviet era school uniforms with white knee-high socks, black shoes, white aprons and white bows in their hair. Boys typically wear suits or dark dress pants with white shirts.





The program often includes demonstrations of talent such as singing, reciting poetry, dancing, and playing instruments with parents and other family members in attendance.





After singing a popular farewell song, Когда уйдем со школьного двора, students leave to have fun at local parks and memorials. Splashing in city fountains has become a fun routine for the kids.



The "first bell" will greet new students in September so all that is left after the unified exams are completed is for teachers to close the windows for the summer.

[mendeleyev]

Some additional photos of "last bell" in Moscow where it rained on the last day of school:














The above photos were by two gentlemen who are part of a press pool that photographs graduating students every year as they descent onto the Red Square areas of Manezhnaya Plaza, Revolution Plaza and the Aleksandr Gardens in the centre of Moscow, and at the VDNkh exhibition park complex.


On the left is Anton Ukhanov and on the right is Ilya Varlamov. Both are pros at the top of their game.

[Ooooops]

To think about it - Soviet school uniforms with skirts cut up to there, white aprones and white socks + high hills do look like "French maid" costumes... 

[mendeleyev]

Right, I don't remember skirts, especially school uniforms, that short in Soviet times.


Oooops, I also was shocked at the open beer consumption this year. After all the crackdowns last year, of stores banned from selling alcohol on the last day of school, to kiosks being banned from selling it period, and yet this year it was in open view and everywhere. Does that mean that the Medvedev government was more serious about getting a handle on teen alcoholism and perhaps it is not as important to Mr. Putin's administration?

A large police presence is always felt on "last bell" and that is mainly to protect the kids. The police typically stand back and allow kids to swim in public fountains, perform various pranks, etc, up to a point when there are danger to either themselves or the public. When it came to open beer consumption under some of the strictest bans on sales and distribution in recent times, the police hung back and seemed uninterested in enforcing all those new laws.

The number of kids smoking, particularly girls, seems higher too. I hope that is not a trend because there had been indications that all the efforts to curb teen smoking was starting to have a positive effect. Not this year.

[Ooooops]

Right, I don't remember skirts, especially school uniforms, that short in Soviet times.


Oooops, I also was shocked at the open beer consumption this year. 

Well, you obviously didn't see mine in those times...        I was called to principal office quite a few timesbecause of that but I won and skirt staid miniscule.   


That's very different from Soviet times - we didn't drink on public at our "last bell"....

[Faux Pas]

Mendy

My wife's group of local FSU wimmin friends attended the graduation ceremony of one of their own's kid. It was for a local high school. They were all commenting on how they were impressed with it. The formal pageantry etc. They all claimed to have enjoyed it. They also commented that they didn't have that in Russia, Ukraine or Georgia.

[mendeleyev]

Different to be sure. Depending on the school administration, some Russian graduations have formal aspects as well but not the cap and gown formality as practiced in the West.

I like the idea that the entire school, from first grade to 11th year seniors, everyone plays a part. Most Russian schools are neighborhood schools in which the kids go all 11 years to the same building and the bonds with teachers, other kids young and old, and parents are usually tighter than the West.

The senior are let out in mid afternoon and they go paint the town red. Thankfully this is not a culture where kids get cars.

[Ooooops]

The senior are let out in mid afternoon and they go paint the town red.

Never heard about such tradition, must be new...

[mendeleyev]

Oooops, I'd enjoy reading about your "last bell" if you are willing to share with us.  Do you have any photos of that day?

[Ooooops]

Oooops, I'd enjoy reading about your "last bell" if you are willing to share with us.  Do you have any photos of that day?

It was such a long time ago that I don't even remember.      

[mendeleyev]

If you see a throng of children, all dressed up and everyone carrying flowers, what could it be? Well if it's первое 1 сентября (1 September) or the day after when 1 сентября falls on a Sunday, then what you see is the Днём Знаний (Day of Knowledge) and the occasion of the первый звонок (First Bell) the events marking the beginning of школа (School) each year!


(школа = School, "Shkola")

Greetings of Здравствуй школа (informal: Hello, School!) ring out as teachers and students welcome each other.


(Здравствуй школа! = Hello School!)

In most instances students along with parents gather at the front of the school where there is a program outside. The principal or head teacher greets the students and in some cases there is a blessing from an Orthodox Priest or Muslim Cleric and often songs are sung by students.





Students gather by class or in cases of smaller children stand with teachers with family members nearby.








Before entering the building there are traditions to observe, including the ringing of the first bell which is done as an upperclassman carries a designated primary girl student around the group parae style while she rings the bell.







Students line up by class and starting with the youngest first, entered the school with their teacher. It is not uncommon for the smaller students to be accompanied by older students.


http://youtu.be/yq9-i5N6cmA


In many schools the teachers greet the students in normal classroom attire but as shown below, at this school in Tver, Russia the teachers were a little creative yesterday and greeted students with a reading/book fair.



The giving of flowers is an important cultural symbol in Russia and giving flowers to teachers is no exception. Every student brings flowers or in some cases some fruit for the teacher.





Especially for young students it is customary for parents to be part of the first day of life inside the classroom.




President Putin, on his way to Saint Petersburg for the G20 Summit, stopped in at school #7 in Kurgan where he posed for a photo with teachers and then greeted upperclassmen to wish them success in their last year of school.





President Putin with teachers at School #7 in Kurgan.

Russian schools are designed to serve neighborhoods so busing is extremely rare. Most students walk to a school that is very close to their home and often is across or just down the street from their apartment complex. Russian schools are grades 1-11 and students generally attend the same school for each of those years.

[mendeleyev]

School first bell in Ukraine:

[LAman]

Thanks for the info Mendy. I was given high marks for knowing about "First Bell" and start of school year!!!

[mendeleyev]

Cool!