In countries of the former Eastern Bloc, it’s known as “Knowledge Day” — the first day of the new school year. In Ukraine, it’s celebrated with a ceremony called the “First Bell.”
Traditionally, during the ceremony, a boy from the final grade carries a girl from the first grade on his shoulders around the schoolyard as she rings a bell.
This year, much is different. Like the rest of the world, Ukraine finds itself in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Case numbers are rising across the country. For virtually every society, one of the biggest challenges is how to reopen schools during the pandemic. Some places have chosen to stick to remote learning.
But Ukraine is pushing forward with in-person school. On Sept. 1, the vast majority of schools reopened, albeit following hygiene rules created by the government. And many of the schools held some form of the “First Bell” ceremony, an event which is particularly important for first graders, who are entering school for the first time.
The only exception was schools in the so-called “red zone” — districts of the country with the most severe spread of COVID-19. They remain closed.
