The first day of school is always a big deal in Ukraine, but especially so in wartime. The following photos are from a gallery you can view on the President of Ukraine’s website (Look for it in the Links section below). When I first went through the photos, I was inspired to write a poem, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself a little bit teary at times.
All the younger kids dressed up for the first day, many wearing the traditional embroidery. With the war going on, traditions and the normal events of life take on a deeper meaning. This school is in Irpin, and was rebuilt just in time for school to start, after being destroyed in the early fighting.
Because the first day is so important, the school is decorated with bright balloons and the children carry lovely bunches of flowers, but there is a soldier guarding the door.
The classrooms are full of new things and the walls have colorful murals, but many of the rooms are underground and have no windows to the outside. Here’s a preschool room with the usual bean bag chairs, tiny tables, and chairs in bright colors, but the posters on the walls warn about the dangers of hidden grenades.
Getting enough schools rebuilt, often underground, so that school could start on the normal day was a top priority. Much ingenuity was needed, such as the creativity that went into the construction of schools in five metro stations in Kharkiv. And along with the ingenuity, a great deal of hard work went into getting these new schools ready in time for that exciting first day of school.
September 1 is Knowledge Day, the 190th Day of Knowledge in 2022, just one of many such special days in Ukraine. Of course, the President got up early and made a speech directed to the children who were starting or returning to school, from preschoolers to college students, because education is very, very important in Ukraine. Take the time to listen to the speech on YouTube®, using the link provided below. It will tell you a lot about the Ukrainian spirit.
Education now includes what you need to know to live in wartime, such as these posters warning of where grenades might be lurking. There is no attempt to shield children from what is happening; instead they are shown what they can do to help. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, that is very comforting to them.
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LinksPhotos from Knowledge Day. Photo gallery from President of Ukraine’s visit to the school in Irpin on the occasion of Knowledge Day. Photos may be downloaded, and are licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Int.).
President’s speech on Knowledge Day Inspiring speech directed toward students on the first day of school. This speech will tell you a great deal about the Ukrainian spirit and how Ukrainians feel about Ukraine. Use autotranslate to set subtitles/closed captions in your desired language.
Photo Credits
The first five photos are from the President of Ukraine’s visit to a new school in Irpin on Knowledge Day. They are listed in the order that they appear. The last photo listed is from a visit to one of the Kharkiv Metro schools, which took place 11-30-23.
645ae9ae59ad36281aacf349bb98d76f_1662025224_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 1 September 2022 Children arriving at school carrying flowers. From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.
59d379c93a97af3c54e30b061cee51e9_1662025275_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 1 September 2022 School decorated with bright balloons in the official colors of Ukraine. From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.
e33e6f1aceb6aa20073b9606b582dab0_1662025224_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 1 September 2022 Underground classroom with interior windows and a bright mural. From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.
ff20da80eb9860e7ed799f81cd4a0fc0_1662025227_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 1 September 2022 Children on the first day of school, many wearing traditional embroidery. (This image was cropped and only part of it was displayed.) From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.
50df6be68132ef44c69c3baaad9b327f_1662025281_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 1 September 2022 Preschool room with warning posters; the two posters on the back wall are shown magnified. From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.
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67284333cf6cbcf8f665393241f97a77_1701352930_extra_large.jpeg by PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY Official website (CC BY 4.0 Int.) 30 November 2023 Classroom in one of the Kharkiv metro schools. From President of Ukraine Official Website www.president.gov.ua/en.