Ring, ring, ring, tolls the little school bell ... yes, it's the end of class ... FOREVER!!
Young Russians celebrate their graduation from high-school in quite a unique way, and mark the occasion with an event called Последний звонок (The Last Bell).
If you were to travel to Russia around May 25, and it was your first visit to this grand nation, you may be inclined to think that Russian teenagers are quite eccentric! You'll see young girls wearing short dark dresses with white lacy aprons, together with fluffy white bows in their hair, white knee-high socks and black shoes, and teenage guys wearing business suits adorned with a colourful, shoulder-to-hip diagonal sash, somewhat reminiscent of a Miss Universe competition!
But the outfits are all part of a long standing tradition, with black and white uniforms representing the standard attire of school students supposedly in pre-Soviet times, in the period of the Tsars. It should be noted that Russian teenagers are in fact very fashionable, but for this one special day they put away their designer clothes and embrace tradition.
Apparently when the Soviets came to power the black-and-white uniforms for females were prohibited as they represented the Tsarist regime, but in the 1930s Stalin reversed this decision and the uniforms for girls were reinstated (however, the white bows were only ever worn in elementary school). On the other hand, male children were dressed in Tsarist style military uniforms, that were later replaced in the 1950s by standard, business-style suits.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, school children wear roughly whatever they want, and high-school playgrounds can sometimes look like an outdoor fashion parade, as Russian teens tend to dress up significantly more than their Western counterparts. So the special outfits - the black and white pinafores and business suits with a sash - are generally only worn for the Last Bell ceremony.
* Please note the history of the uniforms has only been passed on to me by word-of-mouth by several Russians growing up in these times, and if you see any inaccuracies (or have something to add) please let me know!
Just in case any of you are wondering about how to say the various bits of clothing in Russian:
Школьная форма на последний звонок
(School uniform for the Last Bell)
Last Bell Uniform for Guys
Suit : Костюм
Tie : Галстук
Coloured Sash : Лента (which also means 'ribbon' or 'tape')
Last Bell Uniform for Girls
Dress : Платье or платьице (diminutive - cute form)
Apron: Фартук
Bow : Бант or бантик (diminutive - cute form)
Knee-length socks / stockings : Гольфы
Note, the girls usually wear a sash as well. Although the writing on the sash can be difficult to make out in the photos (it's written in italic Cyrillic script), they say "выпускник", which means "school-leaver" or "graduate", plus the year of graduation. So in 2009 the text on every sash would say "Выпускник 2009".
On the day of the Last Bell
The Last Bell is all about the last day of school for Year 11 students. Russians attend 11 years of school, instead of the standard 12 of Western countries, but most students start primary school a year later, and subsequently finish at roughly the same age as us (17 / 18).
Usually May 25th is reserved for the Last Bell all over Russia, but sometimes (such as in 2009) it can be held a few days earlier. Year 11 students often spend months preparing for this day, and when it finally arrives the whole school gets involved.
The official ceremony might start around 11am and finish around 2ish, and involves an elaborate ceremony conducted by both the staff and students. Walking around the schools you'll see balloons everywhere – decorating the corridors and classrooms and being carried by the students.
When it's time for the formal part of the day to begin, Year 11 students file into a large hall or auditorium in front of the audience of younger students and parents, and then take their seats.
This is followed by heart-moving speeches from the senior staff and teachers, who wish the students prosperity in their life and careers.
The Year 11 students are invited to come onto stage, one at a time, to receive a school medal, and a round of applause and cheers from their friends and family. It should be noted that Russian children get a choice to leave school at Year 9 or Year 11, so some Year 9's may also be awarded medals at this stage in the official ceremony.
Teachers might then reminisce about fond moments shared with the students – the funny times, and the difficult times. They might even show some early work of the graduating students much to the amusement of the audience.
In response to the teachers' speeches, some of the students or even parents will address the audience and formally thank the teachers for their hard work over the years.
Students will often present flowers to each teacher as a symbolic gesture of gratitude, followed by a large round of applause.
With the speeches out of the way, the students now have a chance to show their months of preparation with little performances from each year level, and then usually each class of Year 11s. Performances might involve singing, reciting farewell poetry, dancing, or playing instruments.
The parents and teachers love to see their children on stage, and the whole mood of the event is very cheerful and uplifting.
But after 2 to 3 hours, as the ceremony comes to a close, the mood changes as the students realise that their school days are over, and a new life of independence begins. Tears fill the eyes of students, parents and teachers alike as they join in an emotional farewell song that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Below is an audio sample from a very well known Прощальная песня (Farewell song).
It's called «Когда уйдем со школьного двора»
Literally : "When we leave from the school yard"
Audio: «Когда уйдем со школьного двора» by Дмитрий Харатьян и Зара
Video: «Когда уйдем со школьного двора» by Дмитрий Харатьян и Зара
At the conclusion of the formal proceedings, a tiny 1st-grader is usually chosen to ring the last bell one final time (or alternatively, a male and female from the Year 11 class ring it together), and with that the students make their way outside.
Once outdoors there is a crescendo of shared congratulations and laughter between students and their families, and from here the students may gather together around the school square to release a large number of helium balloons into the sky, representing their newfound freedom. With this the solemn mood is lifted and everyone is ready to take photos, eat sweets, and thoroughly enjoy the afternoon.
Often the students and their families will traditionally do a photo tour of the local parks and monuments, and may even lay bouquets of flowers at war memorial sites, similar to what happens after a Russian wedding ceremony.
Following these family obligations the students are often eager to get together, away from their parents and begin celebrating in their own style. Student celebrations might involve indulging in a little alcohol and even dancing in the city fountains, which seems to be quite common!
Students can be seen wandering around the streets in small groups all afternoon (often under the watchful eye of the УВД, Department of Internal Affairs) and then finally get together for a wild party at night.
Not quite the Last Day
Despite all the celebrations, and possibly a few headaches the next day, the Year 11 students now have a week before their grueling State Examinations begin (called Единые государственные экзамены (ЕГЭ) - Unified State Exams), which they must pass to meet the high-school requirements. So although they have already been awarded their 'school medal', they won't receive a diploma until they complete their exams and receive the results a month later in June.
After receiving their diploma they will have another celebration known as a 'выпускной бал', or 'graduating ball'. Everyone dresses in formal attire and usually attend a party filled with lavish food, drinks, dancing and games (Russians love to have games at every event!). So with this, the students can truly let their hair down and relax!
9. Miscellaneous research and photos by Андрей Крылов (andrei-krilov [at] mail.ru) and Светлана Балакирева (sbalakireva34 [at] yandex.ru)
Please note, the original source of several photos are unknown. If you are the author of a photo and wish to have your link placed here, or have the photo removed, please Contact Us. Thank you!
The Last Bell is all about the last day of school for Year 11 students. Russians attend 11 years of school, instead of the standard 12 of Western countries, but most students start primary school a year later, and subsequently finish at roughly the same age as us (17 / 18).
