Holidays
September 1st is known as Dehn Znanniy, (Knowledge Day or Day of Knowledge), as it is the day when the school year traditionally starts in Russia and many other former Soviet republics, including Kyrgyzstan. Although it is regarded as the first day of autumn, the weather is usually good, and this was no exception – the sun shone and it was warm. As is usual on this day, young schoolchildren made their way to school in bright new clothes, a white shirt or blouse and many of the girls sporting red ribbons tied in bows in their hair.
It has special significance for the incoming class of first graders who come to school for the first time and often participate in a celebratory assembly on this day. It is sometimes known as the Perviy Zvonock – or “First Bell” – and some schools still uphold the tradition where a first year girl is lifted on the shoulders of a final year male pupil, and paraded around, ringing the first bell of the school year. (Students in other grades may begin studies on September 1st or a few days later, usually without any special festivities.) Traditionally the lessons on the first day of school are centred on the theme of World Peace.
Unfortunately, however, the day achieved a certain notoriety as a result of the Beslan school hostage crisis in 2004, when a group of armed terrorists, demanding an end to the hostilities in the Russian republic of Chechnya, took more than 1,100 people (including some 777 children) hostage as they attended the first day of school.
For many children, however, its more immediate importance lies in the fact that the long summer break has come to an end.
Back when I was a teacher, the phrase “long summer break” referred to a six week holiday and there was always controversy because some people felt that was too long for children to be away from school, (although probably not the children themselves). I am not sure what people in Britain would make of the system here, where the “long summer break” lasts for three months. Yes, that’s right, three whole months!
How to fill all those long summer days can prove to be a problem. In the days of the Soviet Union, children would often go to a Pioneer Camp or Laager – a sort of Summer Camp – for at least some of the time. Some of the time they might also have gone to a collective farm and helped, for example, to pick fruit – one of my acquaintances tells me how he picked strawberries one year.
Many of the former Pioneer Camps have been converted into holiday resorts, and others are run down and in need of renovation, but there are still special camps for children. Whereas, however, in the past places may have been allocated and special vouchers would have been issued free of charge by the trade unions, they now cost money and, like everywhere else in the world, prices are higher during the school holidays, so families tend to holiday together instead of sending the Children to a camp. However, special summer camps do still exist. For example, the Orthodox Church runs one summer camp which takes children from the city centre to Lake Issyk Kul.
There are a number of other activities organized around the country. Here in Bishkek, for example, some American volunteers organize a Baseball tournament throughout most of July and August.
Another example is the summer camp which was organized for fifteen children, aged between 10 and 14, who normally attend a boarding school in Naryn who are orphans or from disadvantaged families, was arranged at Son Kul. The yurts which normally accommodate tourists throughout the short summer season were given over for the camp and activities such as horse riding, walking and activities involving traditional arts and crafts, such as music were arranged. Tourists in neighbouring yurts joined in the activities, so the children even got the chance to put their skills in English into practice.
Three months is a lot of time to fill, to keep the kids entertained and out of mischief. It might help that one of the rules in the Labour Code here in Kyrgyzstan is that everyone has to have 28 days holiday, and although it is not necessary to take this all at one time, many people do take the whole month in a block. (That still leaves two whole months where the children aren’t at school and need to be entertained.)
Some use the time for a major project, such as renovating and decorating their home, whilst others just take the opportunity to potter around and rest. Some use their holiday entitlement to take a journey to visit relatives – often elsewhere in the vast expanse of the former Soviet Union, but also to places further afield, such as in Europe and they, in their turn, may well take their holiday entitlement in order to look after and entertain them.
This would not suit me at all. Unlike some of my friends who can “switch off” when they are away from the office, I know that I am a “workaholic” and the thought of being away from my desk for so long would worry me immensely … all those emails piling up, (even if most of them are spam), and of all the reports that have to be read and written … all that “catching up” I would have to do on my return would involve more stress than I would have relieved by being away from it all.
I understand I am not alone in this – it seems to be feature of modern life … people take their Blackberry away with them – Blackberries do work here in Kyrgyzstan, but not everywhere – and many of our clients still want the opportunity to check their emails, at the very least.
Even when I was a teacher back in Britain, when I would still spend much of the “long” 6-week Summer holiday working … “spring cleaning”, (clearing out old papers that had accumulated over the year, tidying the stock room), preparing for the new year and so on. I did try to take a two week holiday during the summer, to go somewhere new – but, most years, that was it. It is true that one year I went on a round the world trip which took the full six weeks, and another I spent reading … (I set myself the target of reading a book a day – and I managed to top fifty) … but they were very much the exceptions.
Nowadays, I prefer the concept of “short breaks” rather than the long journey. I usually try to “get away”, at least once every month, even if only up to Naryn to see the Guesthouse there. Sometimes I get called to a conference which lasts for four days, or even a week. It’s still all work, (or work related), but as they say: “a change is as good as a rest” and being away from my desk for two days is a good break. The journey is relaxing in itself … and where I know the road well, it offers one of the few opportunities that I get to read books, (I know that you shouldn’t read in the car). I often meet new people, and I try to see new places.
The Labour Code also stipulates that if the holiday entitlement is split into shorter blocks, but at least one of those has to be at least two weeks long.
This would suit me better – allowing for the possibility of taking a number of short breaks throughout the year – however, I am not sure I welcome an enforced break of two weeks. The last time I was away for a fortnight was when I went to London for a trade fair, back in 2005 – four years ago. Still it’s a lot better than three months!
Bishkek