Happy new year
RIGA – It is perhaps one of the very few remaining Soviet holidays in Latvia. September 1 marks the Knowledge Day, the beginning of the Europe’s shortest academic year for more than 200,000 students in Latvia. Instituted in 1984 by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the Knowledge Day withstood the wind of change, Latvia’s drive for independence and its desire to shed Soviet heritage.
Students do little studying on September 1. Celebrations of the start of the academic year – official and otherwise – fill the cold Monday in the Latvian capital. Spiffed up students carry flowers to their teachers. Police and ambulances are out in full force. As a Diena commentator Laila Pakalniņa put it this morning, drunken students compete with the British boozers in the Old Town.
Statistically, 20 per cent of 13- and 14-year-olds use alcohol at least once a week. By the time they reach 17-18, almost half of students use alcohol, according to Pakalniņa comments. Alcohol industry seems to be the least impacted by the economic downturn.
But back to the drunk orgy, or Knowledge Day. In the Soviet days when I went to school, teachers were obligated to present the so-called the lesson of peace. A propaganda material that tells children that the Soviet Union was the bulwark of peace, in spite of the fact that its troops occupied Afghanistan at the time.
Nowadays, September 1 appears to be free of the Soviet propaganda. The concerns for peaceful coexistence gave way to concerns for Baltic brain drain. And worry about low salaries for teachers replaced fight for victory of the communist theory in the world.
And yet, times may change, but some things remain the same. Principals and teachers still get to know their students. Moms and dads still stand proud as their 6- or 7-year-old starts the first grade for the first time. And that is no doubt worth to celebrate. Even with a tad bit of alcohol for grownups.
Photo above taken from diena.lv
September 8th, 2008 at 2.25
“It is perhaps one of the very few remaining Soviet holidays in Latvia. September 1 marks the Knowledge Day, the beginning of the Europe’s shortest academic year for more than 200,000 students in Latvia. Instituted in 1984 by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union,/…./”
Many thanks, Aleks! Though I’ve certainly known about the holiday for not quite two decades, a couple years ago when I substituted in the festivities for my godson’s mom (who was out of the country at the time), it did occur to me to finally ask: who created the occasion? Because I’d long ago asked my (late) mother, I knew it wasn’t prior to 1934. But, isn’t it amazing? Everyone I talked to was convinced that it was a tradition from “Latvijas laikiem. ” : )
September 10th, 2008 at 18.03
Not so different comparing with Soviet time, when you was child The Soviet Union troops occupied Afghanistan and nowadays latvians 3 soldiers still are in Irak like occupants troops (122 troops left Iraq in 2007). Riga was a city of an occupant country and nowaday still remind as a city of a occupant country.
September 25th, 2008 at 15.51
Xavier will be happy to know that Latvia will not be renewing its mission in Iraq for 2009. Elizabete, another Soviet-era holiday is coming up. The first Sunday in October is Teacher’s Day.