There is such a desk: On September 1, more than 17 million children enrolled in Russian schools

White bows, gladioli, formal suits and dozens of cameras in the hands of parents — this is how the school year began in the country's schools. Event scenarios in many regions had to be adjusted, partly due to rainy weather, and partly due to restrictions related to security measures. For example, in Moscow, most of the lines were attended only by students of the first and 11th grades, and in the Irkutsk region, all celebrations were held only indoors because of the risk of bears. How the first day of school went in different regions and what children and parents think about this holiday is in the Izvestia article.

How schools celebrated September 1st

Russian schools accepted about 17 million children on September 1, 2026, 1.5 million of them were first—graders. This figure was mentioned by the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov at the opening of new educational facilities with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In 2026, the format of the holiday lines was noticeably different. In some places they were held outdoors, in others indoors, and in some schools only first-graders and graduates were invited. At the same time, according to parents and children interviewed by Izvestia, the first day of school was generally successful.

Oleg, an eleventh-grader (name changed) from Moscow, said that the ceremonial lineup was held only for 11th graders. The students received congratulations and parting words, and the students who excelled in their studies and sports were entrusted with bringing the flag.

— One of the students sang to the guitar on her own initiative. After the lineup, we had a class hour where we discussed organizational issues. And then we helped move textbooks from one classroom to another," said the eleventh—grader.

The mother of a fifth-grader at one of the Moscow lyceums said that the homeroom teacher met the students at the entrance, the building was decorated with balloons, and the song "They Teach at School" was playing in the courtyard. After that, the children were escorted to classes: Already on the first day of school, there were six lessons in the schedule. The solemn assembly took place in the lyceum building without parents.

— The celebration started at 10.00 and lasted about an hour. It was attended by teachers, students and representatives of the parent committee," she shared. — The children liked the performances of the teachers and the administration, the numbers of the high school students and the first call given by the future graduates. My son has new classmates, but it looks like he's already started getting to know them. He's smiling in all the photos, and I hope he enjoyed his first day at the lyceum.

The father of a student at another school in the capital said that as early as eight in the morning, the small courtyard in front of the entrance was filled with parents and children with bouquets of flowers. There were so many adults that they occupied not only the paths, but also the lawns in several rows, trying to get closer to the children.

This year, there was no general lineup for all students — the event was divided into several parts. First, at 08:20 — for elementary school students. At the same time, first-graders and graduates participated in separate events that took place later.

— The lineup began with the traditional ceremony of raising the Russian flag. High school students carried him to the flagpole. Then the director gave a short and emotional speech. and I also noticed how many parents came to the party, jokingly asking them not to gather like that next time — there just wasn't enough room for everyone," the father said.

Do we need formal rulers?

Yulia Vakhrusheva, the mother of a student at school No. 689 in St. Petersburg, said that after transferring to another school, Kostya's son became more comfortable studying. According to her, the solemn assembly at the Nevsky district correctional school was held in a warm and festive atmosphere.

— Today my son started school again, and it's a special day for our family. The children went to the ceremonial line—up — it was held on the sports field - together to the sounds of school songs. The flag-raising ceremony took place, the children enthusiastically sang the national anthem and read poems for the Day of Knowledge. It was obvious that they were happy to return to their studies. After the ceremony, all the children were escorted to classes, and the new school year began," Yulia Vakhrusheva shared with Izvestia.

In one school in the capital, September 1 passed almost without celebrations this year: the children immediately went to class, said Yulia, the mother of a third-grader. Despite this, Knowledge Day remains an important event that the whole family is looking forward to with excitement.

— In the first and second grades, the festive lines were held in the assembly hall, and only one of the parents could attend them, — she said. But this year, the children immediately went to lessons. The first was a class hour: the guys talked about how they spent the summer, and drew the most memorable day. Interestingly, my child depicted how he broke his finger the day before September 1st. In the third lesson, the head teacher came into the classroom and congratulated the students on the start of the school year. Then the homeroom teacher took a picture of them together, and that was the end of the first day of school.

According to her, there is a bit of a lack of solemnity now on September 1: there is no longer a general line on the street, and instead of many bouquets, the teacher is given one from the whole class.

— And yet every year our family waits for this day, worries and rejoices — as if we all go back to school and grow up with our child, — said Julia.

Meanwhile, the mother of one eleventh-grader believes that the solemn lines are especially interesting for younger students, whereas for teenagers the atmosphere in the team and the organization of the educational process are much more important. According to her, in the senior year, the main attention of children, parents and teachers is already focused on preparing for the Unified State Exam.

— For middle and high school students, such events are no longer so necessary — they already understand that a new school year is beginning. What happens after the ruler is much more important. I am very pleased with our school, the care and attention of the teachers, and their sincere desire to help every child. We have a wonderful class: children are comfortable not only learning, but also communicating with each other. In addition, the school offers many clubs and additional classes, from choir to theater. Now, of course, everyone is focused on the Unified State Exam, because graduation is ahead. Therefore, it seems to me that both parents and teachers are already a little "on the corvalol," the graduate's mother shared.

On September 1, 2026, the academic year began in all educational institutions of the country with the first lesson of the "Conversations about important things" cycle. The theme of the first school day was the unity of the peoples of Russia, the preservation of historical memory, patriotic education and the strengthening of traditional spiritual and moral values.

Congratulations to the students

On Knowledge Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian schoolchildren, students, their parents, teachers and mentors on the start of the new academic year. In his address, the head of state noted that September 1 traditionally becomes a special holiday filled with the joy of meetings, hopes and kind feelings that unite different generations.

Special wishes were expressed to the first-graders.

— A completely new stage of life begins for you, responsible and exciting. School is not just about lessons, it's a huge world where you have to make a lot of discoveries. I want to wish you great success, and your moms, dads, grandparents will always support you," Vladimir Putin said.

The President also noted that modern schoolchildren and students are already thinking about choosing a profession and future achievements. Diligence and perseverance will help young people realize their plans, and the task of adults is to support them, help them discover their abilities, find a vocation and become worthy people.

"There is a huge space of possibilities in front of you. This is not only a wide range of programs for schoolchildren and students, but also new, large—scale projects that are currently being launched and are underway in the economy, science, education and high technology," the president said.

The Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov took part in the solemn assembly at the V.D. Polenov School No. 1231 in Moscow.

— First of all, I want to congratulate the guys who are going to school for the first time today. Of course, this is a big event for you. And I would like to say a few words of farewell to the students of the eleventh grade. On the one hand, it will be an exciting year before the exams, but on the other hand, when you look back, you will see that these are the best years. The school provides you all with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Dear guys, in your person, I would like to congratulate all the students of our vast country who went to school today, and wish them good studies and new victories. Special thanks to our teachers. The teaching profession is the main profession on earth," the minister said.

Why Knowledge Day is important

For children, September 1 is a kind of starting point, a time of discovery: a new class, new goals, new knowledge, sometimes even new friends and new dreams, said Egor Sorokin, CEO of Online School No. 1.

"The school lineup helps you feel that a new stage is beginning and that you have the opportunity to change something, try again, and set a new goal," the expert told Izvestia. — We are always pleased when, by the end of the school year, a student can say not only: "I got better at math, English, or any other subject," but also, "I became more confident, learned something new, and realized something important about myself." For me, this is the real result of education.

According to him, a modern school is a space where a child learns to think, ask questions, try, make mistakes and gradually understand what is really interesting to him.

— On this day, I would like to wish children not to be afraid to learn, and most importantly, not to be afraid of mistakes, — Egor Sorokin emphasized. — Because ignorance is not a disadvantage, but a starting point for learning. Don't be afraid to ask questions and try new things, don't take the assessment as a characteristic of your personality. One bad test does not make a person less capable, just as one excellent grade does not determine his future. And, of course, I want to wish the children curiosity. It seems to me that this is one of the main engines of education.

Today's schoolchildren live in interesting times, added Igor Nikitin, founder of WMT AI and the WMT Kids educational project. For example, artificial intelligence is already changing the way we learn, work, and create new things, and children will have to grow up in a world where the ability to interact with AI will become as natural a skill as the ability to use computers and the Internet once was for us. Therefore, familiarization with such technologies is gradually becoming a part of school education. In particular, students of the fifth and sixth grades of the capital will study artificial intelligence as part of a special course, said Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

More than 200 thousand schoolchildren will study the new subject. It is important for the city that children not only learn the material with the help of artificial intelligence, but also learn to work with information and think critically.

— I didn't want children to perceive the neural network as just a way to get the right answer faster, — Igor Nikitin emphasized. — It is much more important to keep them curious and willing to ask questions, come up with their own, try, make mistakes and look for a solution again. Therefore, on September 1, I would like to wish students not to be afraid of new things and not to be afraid of not knowing something. Today, the value of knowledge lies not only in remembering the correct answer, but also in the ability to think independently, ask good questions, verify information, and create something that has not yet been done.

The experts wished parents not to rush their children. The most valuable thing that can be given to them is the feeling that they are loved and supported not only when they get good grades or achieve results, but throughout the journey, with ups and downs.