Lifestyle Blog: First day of school on Instagram

Regardless of the political life and ongoing war in eastern Ukraine, the first day of school arrived on time on Sept. 1 for most of Ukrainian kids.

While the students of some 900 schools in rebel-held cities in the east
stayed home, boys and girls from the rest of Ukraine filled social networks with their impressions of the first day of school. Unlike the students in neighboring Russia, who marked the day with a popular Twitter hashtag “#weareintheshit,” Ukrainian students didn’t start a special hashtag, but celebrated the first day of autumn by dressing in vyshyvankas, traditional embroidered shirts.

Vyshyvanka seemed to replace the standard school uniform for many young patriots all over Ukraine. It was often paired with blue and yellow balloons, flags and ribbons, which girls used for their hair along with traditional flower wreathes.

This little school girl with blue and yellow bows in her hair seems to be excited about the first day of school.

Three school friends wear vyshyvankas to the Sept. 1 celebrations at their school.

“With my bro”, the picture’s description says.

Red hair, neat black dress with the cat eye glasses, spider tattoo and balloons in the colors of national flag. Yet this is the Sept. 1 celebration indeed. Hashtags do not lie.

A little first grader poses in her bright vyshyvanka, red skirt, embroidered belt and poppy flower wreath.

The first day of school celebration in process in one of the Kyiv schools. Some students wear vyshyvankas and majority holds blue and yellow balloons.

Little school girl poses wearing vyshyvanka and patriotic ribbons in her hair in an Instagram picture posted by her mom.

School students all wear vyshyvankas for their first class this semester.

Right in the middle of the official Knowledge Day celebrations – that is the best time to take a selfie with your classmates.

Fun is right around the corner when the official celebrations of Sept. 1 are over. A school girl rides a scooter still wearing her vyshyvanka and a flower wreath.

Yellow and blue chrysanths made up this patriotic bouquet, most probably, a gift for this student’s teacher.

School girl in vyshyvanka and a neat flower wreath holds a bouquet she will probably hand in to her teacher.

These kids look excited about their first ever day of school. Many of them hold patriotic balloons and wear vyshyvankas.

School girl makes a selfie in her vyshyvanka while sitting in the class.

School students with patriotic ribbons walk during the parade at the Sept. 1 celebrations.