The traditional International Day of Knowledge on September 1 is familiar to every resident of Russia and the former CIS countries. The constitution of these countries gives every citizen the right to free school education. Many of the post-Soviet states also guarantee the opportunity to obtain one diploma of secondary specialized and higher professional education on a budgetary basis. Taking this fact for granted, not everyone thinks that free compulsory education is really not for all countries of the world. This right was not available to the poor for a long time; discrimination in this matter concerned women and representatives of certain races and nationalities. Realizing that today in third world countries most children do not have the opportunity to acquire knowledge, and therefore are deprived of a chance for a civilized future, it comes to the understanding that Knowledge Day is a particularly important holiday. In the USSR, the date September 1, as the first day of the school year, was approved only in 1935; before that, it was recommended to admit students to school during the first autumn month. Only in 1984 a decree was issued declaring September 1 a national holiday - Knowledge Day. A major role in approving the new holiday date was played by the honored school teacher, director of the Krasnodar school Fedor Fedorovich Bryukhovetsky. Using the example of his educational institution, Bryukhovetsky showed what heights the Soviet school system could reach. Gradually, the main attributes of the celebration took shape: a school line, a dress uniform, a Peace lesson. In the former post-Soviet space, the knowledge that September 1 is the beginning of the school year is firmly rooted. In fact, this is not realistically true for all countries in the world. So, in Germany and the USA there is no single start date for school; it can be any day in August or September. Schools in Spain open for students on October 1, by which time the bulk of agricultural work in this hot country ends. In Japan, the first bell is not at all associated with autumn. On the contrary, small and grown-up Japanese take up their backpacks by April 1, and not because they want to joke. It’s just that this is the time of cherry blossoms, and a wonderful time is considered the best symbol of fruitful and successful study. Over the past few years, proposals have been appearing in Russia to move Knowledge Day from September 1 to other dates, due to differences in climate in the regions. But, I would like to believe that the tradition will remain unchanged, still uniting all students of vast Russia and friendly countries in a ceremonial assembly to the sounds of the school waltz.

Autumn is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for creative people. This time of year not only pleases the eye, but also makes you think about the eternal. The celebration coincides with the beginning of the school year, so for many it evokes pleasant memories of school, teachers and childhood friends.

For Kabardino-Balkaria, September 1 is an important date. On the first day of autumn, residents of this southern region celebrate Statehood Day of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. It is known from history that the territory of today's Kabardino-Balkaria was gradually populated by Adyghe tribes from the 15th-16th centuries. They became the ancestors of future Kabardians. In 1774, Greater Kabarda became part of the Russian Empire. Balkaria joined the Russian Empire in 1827. After the Caucasian War, the composition of the population of these lands changed somewhat, and Russians became the second largest nation in the region. On September 1, 1921, the Kabardian Autonomous Region was formed. Later it merged with Balkaria and in 1922 the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Region was formed. Since 1992, Kabardino-Balkaria has been included in the Russian Federation. The new constitution of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic was adopted in 1997. Because of this event, on September 1 of the same year, a holiday was established - Statehood Day of Kabardino-Balkaria. The republic is part of the North Caucasus Federal District. Its capital is the city of Nalchik. Geographically, the republic is located in the center of the North Caucasus. The neighbors of Kabardino-Balkaria are: Georgia - in the south, Stavropol region - in the north, Karachay-Cherkessia - in the west, North Ossetia - in the east. The main role in the economy of the republic is given to agriculture, the leading directions of which are meat and dairy cattle breeding and grain farming. An important contribution to the economy of the region is made by the recreational complex based on medicinal mineral springs. Kabardino-Balkaria has mineral deposits: tungsten, tin, molybdenum, oil, gold. Kabardino-Balkaria is an incredibly beautiful region with many different attractions and natural monuments. Therefore, a huge number of tourists from different parts of the planet flock here. The region's attractions include the picturesque Chegem waterfalls, whose height reaches 60 meters. The famous Aushiger thermal springs attract not only tourists, but also those who want to experience the healing power of mineral water. On the territory of these lands there are 5 blue karst lakes, known throughout the world. The lower lake (Tserik-Kel) is slightly inferior in depth to Red Lake, the deepest karst lake in the world. About 70% of the territory of this wonderful region is mountainous. There are 7 mountain peaks here, the height of which exceeds 5000 m above sea level. One of them is Elbrus, the highest point in Europe. The region's attractions include the Elbrus region national park and the Kabardino-Balkarian high-mountain reserve. Also in this region there is a famous historical monument - the medieval necropolis, or “city of the dead,” located near the village of Eltyubyu. All this gives the region significance and gives its residents the right to be proud of their native land. On September 1, Kabardino-Balkarian educational institutions traditionally hold conversations where they tell the younger generation about the history of their Motherland. On this day, ceremonial events are held, at which state awards are presented to the most worthy people in the region. Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria are full of pride in their Motherland, so they try to coincide with the birthday of the republic the most significant events in its life: the opening of cultural monuments, educational institutions, and various exhibitions. By tradition, festive concerts are held. The celebration of Statehood Day ends with fireworks.

Every year on September 1, Uzbekistan celebrates its main national holiday - Independence Day of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The national holiday within the country is called “Mustakillik Kuni”. Despite the fact that already on August 31, 1991, Uzbekistan, thanks to the initiative of President I. Karimov, adopted a resolution on its independence, the Republic formally gained its independence after the collapse of the USSR in December of the same year. In 1992, the holiday was declared a non-working day and for the first time, ceremonial events were held throughout the country, and in honor of this event, the first sports competition of workers was held, which lasted 5 days. Currently, Uzbekistan, according to the constitution, has the status of a legal democratic state, has independence and sovereignty, and independently determines its national state and administrative territorial structure. Traditionally, on this day, the President of the Republic addresses the citizens of Uzbekistan, congratulating them on the national holiday, ceremonial awards are given to workers and employees in various fields of activity, and titles are awarded. Every year, the country hosts events of various levels dedicated to the holiday: anniversary medals and postage stamps are issued, patriotic film screenings, exhibitions are held, and sports competitions are organized. Citizens of Uzbekistan are very sensitive to their country's Independence Day, so they prepare for the holiday in advance. The day before, a nationwide hashar is announced - an event to cleanse cities and villages by their residents. Local authorities are putting roads in order, developing parks, streets and courtyards. The holiday itself in Uzbekistan is celebrated colorfully and on a grand scale. Festive concerts are held in all 12 regions of the Republic, in which not only local vocal and instrumental groups, but also famous artists and singers take part. On this day, exhibition fairs of local crafts such as woven carpets and blue pottery are held. There is also a festive parade, the laying of wreaths, raising the flag and the solemn performance of the anthem. The festive events end with bright fireworks.

More recently, people used home phones to communicate, sent important messages in telegrams, sent letters and postcards. With the advent of the Internet, everything changed - traditional correspondence was replaced by email and instant messengers. The holiday encourages children and adults to take a break from communicating on social networks and instant messengers.

September 1 is the most important day for all followers of Krishna's teachings - it is the birthday of their main spiritual leader and preacher Srila Prabhupada. He translated and introduced the world to the sacred scriptures of Hinduism, the basis of which is the doctrine of the eternal soul in the temporary shell of the human body. After the death of a person, the soul is reincarnated into a new body, the fate and life in which depends on previous actions and behavior. The principle of retribution, or karma as Hindus call it, states that any sin will be punished and a good deed will be rewarded in this or the next life. On this day, Hindus around the world gather for festive services in temples, meditate and make sacrifices. In India, after prayer, Indians go to the bank of the sacred Ganges, where they take a sacred bath. The Hare Krishna religious figure was born in Calcutta in 1896, in the family of Hare Krishnas Gour Mohan De and Rajani, and was given the name Abhay Charan De at birth. After birth, an astrologer invited to the house predicted a journey across the ocean at the age of 70 for the baby and great success. The boy received a good spiritual education at a prestigious college in Scotland, after which he worked as a manager of a pharmaceutical laboratory. He married early, and he and his wife had several children. In 1922, the most important meeting took place in the life of the future spiritual leader, which turned his whole life upside down. Abhay Charan De was approached by the preacher and reformer of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati with a request to begin broadcasting the teachings of Krishna in English. After 10 years, Abhay received spiritual initiation. Since 1944, he began publishing the religious magazine “Back to Godhead” at his own expense, which he edited and distributed on his own. Thanks to the gurus' disciples, this publication still exists today and is published in more than 30 languages ​​around the world. In 1959, having retired from family affairs, Abhay became a Hare Krishna monk with the name A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and took initiation into sannyasa (renounced lifestyle). Bhaktivedanta Swami was obsessed with converting Westerners to the Hindu faith. Therefore, he was not afraid, with seven dollars in his pocket, at the age of 69, to go to the United States on the cargo ship Jaladuta for this purpose. The American cultural environment turned out to be very fertile ground for the propagation of the teachings of Krishna, and soon Bhaktivedanta Swami was already surrounded by a small but devoted following. It was with their help that in 1966 Bhaktivedanta founded the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York. The Indian preacher chanted the Hare Krishna mantra with his disciples on the streets, distributed books (sankirtana) and gave lectures. American Hare Krishnas awarded their spiritual mentor the honorary title Srila Prabhupada (“he at whose feet the teachers sit”). Despite the sharp contrast between the canons of Hinduism and Western European culture, Prabhupada managed to interest thousands of young people not only in America, but also in Europe, in the teachings of Krishna. During his missionary activity, the wandering monarch, attracting new disciples, made 10 trips around the world and founded 108 Krishna temples in different parts of the world. From his pen came 60 volumes of translated sacred texts. In 1971, Prabhupada visited the Soviet Union, where he was received at the highest level by the Indologist Grigory Kotovsky. But the first followers of Hinduism in our country were persecuted. In Calcutta, Mumbai and other Indian cities, Prabhupada is revered as a saint, and streets, squares, schools and hospitals are named after him. Many ruling Indian leaders consider it a spiritual mission that spread faith in Krishna and Indian culture throughout the world. For the 100th anniversary of the preacher, a commemorative postage stamp with his image was issued in India. Today, about 500 million people in the world are Hindus, with the largest communities located in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad, Tobago and Guyana. By the time of his death in 1977, Srila Prabhupada had changed the world view of thousands of people without changing anything about Krishna's teachings.

Catholic Feast of Saint Giles

On September 1, according to the new style, Orthodox Christians remember the first martyrs Thekla, Timothy and Agapius. The day of remembrance of these passion-bearers has the status of a folk Christian holiday. This means that at first the holiday was only a church holiday, but then it merged with folk traditions, beliefs and natural phenomena. The Palestinian city of Gaza is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. At the very beginning of the 4th century, Timothy lived there, who told everyone that Jesus suffered for his boundless love for people. Timothy's sermons occurred during the very era of persecution of Christians. The man was captured and brought to the ruler. Timothy was forced to renounce his faith and recognize the power of pagan idols. However, he refused to do this. Then, by the decision of the ruler, the passion-bearer was burned at the stake. At the same time, Agapius and Thekla, who had professed Christianity from a young age, were also arrested on charges of preaching. They were tortured for a long time and then given to be eaten by wild animals. On September 1, peasants usually began harvesting beets, which were considered the birthday girl of the day. This vegetable was very popular among the people. It was used to make preparations for the winter, to cook borscht, botvinya and kvass, and it was used in the treatment of certain diseases. On September 1, housewives tried to put beetroot dishes on the table. People on Theklu performed a special ritual to scare away evil spirits and attract wealth. A woman whose name day fell on this day was supposed to bring several sheaves of oats to her home. One sheaf was placed behind the stove, the other two - in the upper room and in the entryway. Sometimes another sheaf was placed in the stable. According to legends, this ritual helped scare away the evil spirits that play with horses. On Thekla, a pagan initiation rite has been preserved, when a boy was first mounted on a horse. This action meant that the boy took another step towards growing up. There was a ban on Thekla to look at the flame, otherwise you could lose your sight. On September 1, people monitored natural phenomena, connecting them with the upcoming weather:• If the wind is warm, then farmers can expect a good harvest of oats.• A cloudless sky portends cold weather.• Foggy weather - there will be a lot of snow in winter.• A golden sunset promises a warm next day. . If a child was born to Thekla, it was believed that he would be very wise and prudent.

Orthodox holidays on September 1:

The Don Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most revered icons, before whose holy image believers have bowed for many years and asked in prayer for help. According to legend, this holy image of the Mother of God was painted at the end of the 14th century by the icon painter Theophan the Greek. The icon depicts the Mother of God holding the infant Christ in her right hand. A distinctive feature of the holy face is the baby’s bare legs, bent at the knees. This face belongs to the “Tenderness” type. The icon has been worshiped for many times, and many miraculous events are associated with it. It is believed that in 1380 the holy image helped the Russian regiment win the Battle of Kulikovo, after which the icon was presented to Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who transported it to Moscow. The miraculous icon helped the Russian army in battles many times, so in 1552, before the Kazan campaign, Ivan the Terrible himself prayed to it, which helped him win. And in 1591, to help in the battle with the Tatar army, a religious procession with an icon was held around Moscow, and on the day of the battle, despite the numerous advantage, the Tatars fled the battlefield. In gratitude and in memory of this event, the Donskoy Monastery was founded in 1592 and the celebration was established on September 1 (August 19 according to the church Julian calendar). Since then, the icon has been revered as a protector from enemies; people pray to it asking for peace and healing from serious illnesses, and also ask for guidance on a righteous life. Currently, the icon is in the Tretyakov Gallery, but on the day of its celebration, the icon of the Mother of God returns to the Donskoy Monastery to perform a festive service.

Memorial Day of Martyr Andrei Stratelates