Novosibirsk Residents Recall 1990s School Discos for New Year's
Do you remember how in the last days of December, right before the holidays, every class had New Year«s gatherings with chemical-tasting lemonades, rolls, and homemade sandwiches, and on the last school day evening there was a big disco? Novosibirsk residents have unlocked memories of those tea parties and dances in assembly and gym halls.
Lambada and Tea from an Electric Samovar
Novosibirsk resident Kirill Kudryashov talked about the New Year 1992 at school in Snegiri.
«In elementary school, I always brought the Christmas tree to school. We had an artificial one, small but nice. And I lived nearby, so I put the box on a sled and dragged it to school, where we all assembled it together as a class. I stood on the table, classmates around me, with parts of the tree, and I took them from their hands,» he recalled. «A funny moment: the tree had one extra part – a design feature. And it happened to go to the girl I couldn»t stand. «And why was I standing with her all this time, like a fool?» she asked when the tree was assembled. And I was inwardly rejoicing: everyone was useful, but you weren«t.»
That day, he was dressed as a pirate: a ragged striped shirt, a plastic dagger at his belt. But no eye patch was found.
«There were snowflake girls, no bunny boys: they»d be laughed at. Thank heavens, parents understood that,« added Kirill Kudryashov. »Back then, the whole country was dancing the lambada. Imagine: three dozen children (half of whom are pirates, Puss in Boots, Frog Princesses, and snowflakes), lined up in a human centipede (or a snake from the good old 8-bit game), writhing and moving around the classroom to the rhythm of this frankly erotic dance! A panopticon!«
And in the evening, there were gatherings with tea from a huge, slowly boiling electric samovar. Treats were brought by everyone as they could: some bought pastries, others baked a cake.
«Ded Moroz (Father Frost) didn»t come to our class – Ded Moroz came to the general morning party for the entire grade. Sometimes it coincided with the evening gatherings in class, sometimes not,« said Kirill.
And a very vague memory: gifts were hung on strings, children approached them one by one and with closed eyes cut one down – whatever they got. But which toy he received that year, the Novosibirsk resident couldn«t remember.
Forbidden Dances and Dumplings in a Pot
We also asked subscribers of the Telegram channel «NGS – Novosibirsk News» to recall how they celebrated New Year at school. Did they have gatherings with classmates or did they dance until they dropped in the gym to «Disco Accident»?
«That»s how it was: tea party, rolls, contests from the teacher, and in the evening – a school disco in the foyer,« agreed Irina Vladimirovna.
«In 1965, we danced the twist at the school New Year»s Eve party. Teachers came up to us and warned us to stop, or they«d kick us out of the hall,» recalled NGS reader Galina Kapustina.
«And we also went on winter hikes to the river bank. We cooked dumplings in a pot, had competitions in the snow,» remembered details of school entertainment Natalya.
Some readers told more about celebrating New Year at school and even sent photos. Yulia Zhiguleva found in her archive a photo from late 1997: in the picture, she with her classmates at the New Year«s disco in the school assembly hall.
«In class, we moved the desks, covered them with oilcloth brought from home. And everyone brought something: someone – a store-bought roll, someone – nuts with condensed milk, someone – »Snickers« cut into small pieces so that everyone had enough. They brought a large metal teapot from the cafeteria and celebrated the holidays,» she said.
Subscriber of the Telegram channel «NGS – Novosibirsk News» Lora sent a photo dated 1994. On the eve of the new 1995 year at her school No. 10 in Krasnoyarsk, first there was a festive performance in the assembly hall, then – a tea party in class, and finally a disco started in the gym.
«My dad was a pirate: he brought music discs from Moscow and copied them onto audio cassettes, sold them at the market in a stall. I had the coolest audio collection, so at school discos I was the DJ,» she admitted.
NGS journalist Alena Zolotukhina also shared her New Year«s memory. She found her photo from the New Year»s disco in fifth grade.
«I remember being happy that I finally came in an »adult costume,« not in a silly dress like in elementary school. I had a yellow sundress made of velvet-like fabric and a light cape on top, sort of like organza. I was very proud,» said Alena.
In 2023, NGS showed how Novosibirsk residents of different generations celebrated New Year.
