On the first day of September the first school bell has announced the beginning of a new academic year for all Ukrainian students.

The new academic year always begins on September, 1 in all Ukrainian high schools, colleges and universities. About 4,7 mln. students stepped over the school’s threshold today, and about 378,000 among them started their very first school year. In 2008, nearly 20,300 educational establishments are welcoming students to take their studies in Ukraine. Only in Kiev, the capital, there are 527 schools, with 226,000 students. The second-largest city, Kharkiv, is often called the educaitonal capital of Ukraine, for it hosts almost half of a million students each academic year.

Since ancient times, in Kievan Rus, the first day of September was associated with the end of the field works and harvesting. Till the 18-th century the new year was celebrated on September, 1-st. In 1699, tzar Peter the Great signed the decree which announced celebration of each new year on January, 1.

In 1984, the government of the USSR has established the Day of Knowledge on September the first. This day has turned into the most exciting and emotional holiday for all children who are beginning their first school year. The older students love this day, too. Nicely dressed children and students bring  flowers for teachers, exchange news and impressions of the past summer vacations, and gather in front of their schools buildings for a ceremony of openning of the new academic year. The main culmination of the ceremony is ringing the first school bell of the new school year. Usually, the youngest and the smallest first-year student, usually a girl of 6 years, is carried on a shoulder by a graduating student, usually a 17-year-old boy. While they are making a circle around the school yard, the girl rings the bell, thus, opening a new school year. They do the same thing on May, 25, to mark the closing of the school year and the end of studies.

University students return to campuses and start a new educational year, too.  All the day long till dusk, one can see groups of nicely dressed teenagers carrying flowers, giggling and chatting happily, in cafes, entertainment parks and central streets of all cities, all about the country.