RUSSIA - CULTURE - EDUCATION
1. Russian children begin school when they are 6 years old. Elementary school consists of the first 4 grades, middle school consists of 5 grades and high school is 2 grades. It is only required that children attend the first 9 grades. After that a child can go to work or do work/study. If a child wants to go to the University, however, he or she must complete all 11 grades. There are approximately 25-30 students in each class. All students learn at least one foreign language in school.
Russian education system has three levels: school (called "school's education"), college ("middle education" and University ("high education"). A University education is more prestigious and higher than a College/middle
Snegurochka is made of snow; she is a beautiful young girl. Most often she is pictured as being around 17 to 20 years old; other times rarerly, as a a Preschool girl. She is always a blonde with big blue eyes and red cheeks. She too wears either a blue or red long coat. When the people decorate their apartments and Christmas tree, they place a Santa Claus and Snegurochka either under the Christmas tree or somewhere else in the room.
Gifts are never put in stockings. Russian Santa Claus lays the gifts down under the tree (at midnight). If the children are too small and are sleeping on New Year's night (eve), they run to see under the tree when they awaken. If a family is celebrating the holiday together, all the gifts are put under the tree before midnight. After midnight everyone goes to the tree and opens gifts. After that they celebrate with a large festive dinner. It is a very late night. New Year's gifts are big and generous. Children dream about the holiday for a long time. Historically there was no tradition of writing a letter to Santa Claus as there is in the U.S.. In recent times that has changed and children are beginning to follow this western tradition as well.
Russian New Year decorations are very similar to those in the U.S.. Garland, balloons, candles, snowflakes. Many years ago another tradition was followed: before New Years' families made Christmas tree decorations