Yekaterinburg locals share vivid school memories

«Summer has passed, as if it never was.» Unfortunately, these lines from a song by Sofia Rotaru are gradually becoming a harsh reality. 1 September is almost here: the autumn wind is already knocking at the window, reminding us of school-day routine. For some, school was a carefree time; for others, it was sheer drudgery.

Adults remember their schooling differently: some with a warm smile, others still unable to forgive the hurts inflicted by classmates or teachers. We asked E1.RU readers to share their most vivid school stories.

Many were lucky with teachers who knew how to create a sense of comfort.

«In 10th and 11th grade, our class would gather in our homeroom teacher»s office and eat pancakes with her jam — it was great! We also went into the woods, grilled sausages, played board games. The warmest time,« shares user tdy.

Victoria also remembers school as a gastronomic paradise: «Every start of September, our homeroom teacher took us to Uktus (a district in Yekaterinburg) to grill shashlik.»

And schools, it seems, employ the most charismatic men. «Our chemistry teacher had very distinguished mustaches, just hilarious,» recalls Yuri. Denis agreed: «Our homeroom teacher also had a mustache, and his nickname was »Goose.«»

Not everyone remembers school with joy. Anna was a B student but recalls school negatively: «I hated the »I«m the boss — you»re an idiot« system. I hate forced uniformity and compulsory obligations.»

Andrei takes an ironic view of his school experience: «As a child, my parents said that without a university degree I wouldn»t achieve anything. But I grew up and proved that I achieved nothing even with a degree! And have you ever thought: if one teacher can«t teach all subjects, how can one student learn them all?»

Of course, school is a time of first feelings. «Kissed a classmate passionately at our graduation in 1982,» one reader writes briefly.

However, for many, school became a place of trauma. Yulia admits she still avoids class reunions because of bullying: «In elementary school I was happy, but when I was transferred to another school, hell began. I was bullied terribly. At graduation I told the principal straight out that I would avoid the school. In 18 years I»ve been there only once.«

Yulia also noted that it is teachers who shape attitudes toward a subject: «When our chemistry teacher was replaced by a lecturer from UPI (Ural Polytechnic Institute), we suddenly realized that we weren»t «stupid morons» but people who could be addressed formally. It turned out chemistry was easy and interesting.«

Elena proved to her math teacher that she was capable of a lot: «She always said I only knew the subject at a »C« level. But when I returned from sick leave after breaking my leg, I passed the topic of integrals with an »A.« She couldn»t believe it. Later I also passed higher mathematics at university with distinction.«

Sergei remembers his literature teacher with particular warmth: «When I finished my philology degree, she said: »My mission on earth is complete.« Soon afterward she passed away. Thank you, Galina Efremovna, you were the brightest thing in my school.»

School is not only lessons but also escapades.

«I was the Komsomol organizer, yet at the same time the main instigator of truancy,» says Elena. «Once in 9th grade I persuaded the whole class to sunbathe on the roof. The principal saw us. I declared it was »a way of team-building.« The result was a failing grade for conduct. But at the 10th-grade exam the principal helped me with the assignments, saying: »For past services.« We still meet as a whole class, even though 37 years have passed!»

And Marina recalls the time the whole class decided to jump from the second floor into a snowdrift after a classmate who simply wanted to act up during general cleaning.

«Personally, for me school was like ten years of a concentration camp,» Sergei did not share the general optimism.

Eduard recalls his story: «In third grade I got an »F,« got upset, and in anger hurled my diary at the blackboard right in the middle of class. The teacher wrote to my parents that I was headed straight for a psychiatrist. Of course, no one took me to any doctors, which, incidentally, didn»t stop me from later earning three university degrees, one of them with honors.«

«And I only liked two days at school: 1 September and 31 May,» jokes Larisa.

Surely every class had that one person who flatly refused to let others copy. «Physics was a struggle for me,» Anna shares. «During a test I poked my pen into the back of a classmate: »Oksana, let me copy!« But she turned around and announced loudly to the whole class: »I won«t let you copy, Ustalova!» Naturally, she always paid for it during recess.«

Clinical psychologist Maria Merlis explained how to keep back-to-school preparations from turning into a nightmare and actually help the child instead of adding stress. Read more here.

See what is now being sold at school markets in Yekaterinburg and in shopping malls. You can find the list of what to buy for a first-grader here. It will help you avoid unnecessary purchases or, conversely, forget nothing.

Earlier we published the school holiday schedule in Yekaterinburg for the entire academic year.

We collect all news about 1 September in a separate topic.