Day of Knowledge

1-st of September is the National Day of knowledge in Ukraine - a first day of school for all the children of our country. The three of the kids went to school that day.

All the flowers are from the garden. I picked them early

in the morning to create a somewhat bouques.

My beautiful Sofiya went to school for the very first time in her life. She was so happy! You should have seen her! No one was more joyful or beautiful that day. Mom found this exclusive special uniform for her that no one else has nowadays. They used to wear them in Soviet schools - a black or brown dress and white or black apron. Oh, and BIG whitw bows for girls. But big ones didn't look right on Sonya.
In all post-Soviet schools there is a set of very special and important traditions. One of them is the 'first bell'. Every year on the 1st of September all the pupils stand in perfect square (it's called 'Lineyka' - a line) to celebrate the first school day. After many greetings from different pupils, teachers, city and country administration, school principal... after a few songs or dances by pupils... after singing the national anthem... and greeting the first-graders... the symbol of the new school year beginning appears - a ringing bell (since a school year flows from bell to bell - from lesson to break time). One of the future graduates (a student of 11th grade) picks up a girl who is just entering the big world of knowledge and gives her a 'ride' round the whole Lineyka - a circle of honour. During this travel on his shoulder, a girl rings the bell - stating that a school year has officially begun.

Believe me, it's a HUGE honour to be that girl. You can only do it once. There is only one chance for every girl, because everybody has the very first 1st September once in a lifetime. I didn't have that honour (Mom said I was a little too heavy for the graduates - Grandma fed me well :) But Sonya was the chosen one!!! Whether she was the cutest or the most glowing one - I don't know... But we lost her out of sight when she stood with her new class and her beautiful first teacher. And only when Mom saw her near th principle we realised what was going on. We were SO proud of our girl... I think it should serve as a lesson for those who treat orphans as the lowest class. They are not worse, they are better than us...

The very same day Sony stayed for her first lesson. She was so excited she wanted to take the new book with her, so she could study at home. She was so eager to gain knowledge that even though they didn't get any homework she begged Mom to give her one. That is simply amazing.

The school that Mom and Dad just randomly found for Anton and Sofiya turned out to be a school of olympic reserve. It sounds like this is the place where future Shevchenko's and Shovkovsy's are trained and raised. The school specializes in... football!!! (for Americans - soccer)

This is just one of the five (!!!) football fields that they have!!! It's magnificent! Just perfect for our Anton who is in love with this sport.

So, the new schoolyear promises to be exciting for everybody...