MOSCOW, Sep 1 We continue the series of materials about a unique collection of digitized attributed photographs from the repository, which contains more than three million frames. The earliest date back to the middle of the 19th century. Employees of the Visual Projects Service are conducting scientific work to find reliable information for historical photographs of different years.
On the title photo «Run to School!» — the beginning of the school year at secondary school No. 879 in Moscow, 1974. Author Boris Kavashkin.
The tradition of celebrating the beginning of the new academic year on September 1 came to Russia in the 15th century from Byzantium — on this day the calendar New Year was also celebrated in Rus'. Only from 1700, by decree of Peter I, did they begin to meet him on January 1.
Historically, in Russia, not all schools resumed classes on the first day of autumn. During the time of Peter I, education began at the end of August, mid-September or October, and rural literacy schools — from December 1.
Until the mid-1930s, there was no exact date, and only on August 14, 1930, according to the decision of the Council of People's Commissars, «all children aged 8-10 years old were to be admitted to school in the fall.» Already on September 3, 1935, by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, a single start of classes was introduced in all schools of the USSR from September 1. » media-type=»photo» data-crop-ratio=»0.61134328358209″ data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»367″ data-source-sid=»rian_photo» class=»lazyload» width =»1920″ height=»1174″ decoding=»async» />
Anatoly Garanin/. Mathematics lesson in a secondary school in the village of Koltsovka of the collective farm named after I.V. Stalin of the Vurnarsky district of the Chuvash ASSR, 1940.
The Day of Knowledge holiday was declared by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 15, 1984, which supplemented Article 1 of the decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of October 1, 1980 «On holidays and memorable days» (adopted in a new edition on November 1, 1988; last changes were made by decree President of the Russian Federation on May 31, 2006). For the first time, Knowledge Day was celebrated in 1984. Traditionally, on September 1, ceremonial assembly, class hours, lessons of knowledge, peace, security, conversations about the important are held in schools. First-graders are especially solemnly welcomed in schools. Since the times of the Soviet Union, gladioli have been the symbol of the first school day. 
Boris Kavashkin/RIA Novosti. The beginning of the school year at secondary school No. 879 in Moscow, 1973.
The school uniform appeared in Russia in 1834. It was then that Nicholas I approved the «Regulations on Civil Uniforms». Boys' costumes were a combination of military uniforms and civilian men's dresses. Over the years, the gymnasium uniform has changed slightly. In 1896, the first outfit for girls appeared.
Rudolf Kucherov/. The first call in one of the schools in the city of Petrodvorets in the Leningrad region on the first of September, 1980.
Before the revolution, only children from wealthy families could receive an education. And the school uniform was an indicator of wealth and belonging to a certain class. In 1918, the school uniform was abolished, as were the gymnasiums themselves. And they introduced it again after the Great Patriotic War — the boys wore tunics, and the girls wore brown dresses and aprons. A certain symbolism has become an important attribute — a pioneer tie, October and Komsomol badges. =»0.893153074574793″ data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»536″ data-source-sid=»rian_photo» class=»lazyload» width=»1920″ height=»1715″ decoding=»async » />
Boris Kavashkin/. First-graders of the Moscow School No. 7 of the Leningrad District after the first lesson, 1963.
Compulsory uniform was abolished with the collapse of the Soviet Union. And since 1992, it has been introduced again in elite gymnasiums, schools and lyceums.