ESL Blogs

Dear friends! As I have dedicated all my life to education, I can't help congratulating all students and teachers of EC with Knowlege Day that starts another academic year in my country today. I sicerely believe that the only one great victory of the USSR was victory against illiteracy. You will not find any person who can't read or write or doesn't have any education in Ukraine as well as in other post soviet countries. So, September 1, Knowlege Day, is a holiday for all population. We rate education highly and we are considered to be one of the most educated nations. It is well-known, so, I am not going to brag about that. What I want to tell you is today's celebration under thread of war.

Today, in all schools on the territory of Ukraine (except those under Russian occupation), the First Bell has rung for the first graders and other kids at 8:30 a.m.( at this time classes usually begin here). It is a tradition, but this year, all ceremonies have been started with the Minute of Silence for those who gave their lives during all wars for Ukrainian independence. The first lessons in all  classes were devoted to Ukaraine, its history, traditions, memory of those who died for our freedom and are still fighting our enemy. Instead of flowers usually given teachers on this day, most of children have brought money to give it to the Army and  refugees from the east of Ukraine. I appreciate that very much, I, myself, donated as much as I could. But is it right for children not to know happy childhood? I did have it and would like other generations to see cloudless sky and not to be afraid of bombs falling on their heads!

In the National Technical University (Kiev), one of the best educational establishments that is my alma mater, students put on national costumes and perfomed the show against war wanting to tell Russia that our spirit is still alive.This University graduated such famous scientists like Evgeniy Paton and his son Boris, well-known researchers in the field of welding and bridge constructors, Sergey Korolyov, the constructor of space ships and, of course, Dimitriy Mendeleev, the creator of the Periodic table, as well as a lot of other outstanding designers and scientists. Now, this University graduates the best IT, radio, TV engineers, constructors of different kinds, chemical technologists, etc. and they all know how to use their knowledge in military industry. As you see, they all want to guard Ukraine and it is natural. It makes me feel proud!

What makes me feel really sick is this day in the areas occupied by Russians. Today, about 900 schools haven't opened their doors to meet children. During a few last months, separatists and occupants destroyed about 300 educational buildings. You can see one of them on the right:

not to say that yesterday our invadors said they were planing to make terractions at schools on the occcupied territoties  today's morning and make people think it was the Ukrainan Army that did it!!!!! It is quite natural for Putin!

But look at these children! They are so happy to live, to go to school, to love their homeland!

If someone can lift his hand against their unclouded childhood, let him get over death of his own kids!

Let's learn from the mistakes of the past not to do our own. Let's learn history, traditions and rise as one against any aggressor in the name of the best future! Let the First Bell ring every September everywhere to remind people that knowledge is our main power and weapon!