Russian time is unique. Let’s preserve the traditions.

I want to celebrate just as the Russians have celebrated before us, and preserve everything as it is now.

This is a debate post. Any opinions expressed in the text are the responsibility of the writer. If you want to participate in the debate, you can read how here.

In the busy run-up to Christmas time and the celebration that yet another cohort has finished high school, the same discussions repeat themselves every year.

“The Russian time is not inclusive”, “What if we move the Russian time to after the exam?” and “The whole party has gone too far!”

There is much I can agree with, but there is also much that is over-discussed and misinterpreted by city council politicians and other adults.

Exclusion occurs

I was never particularly interested in Russian time in secondary school. I first started thinking about it at the end of first grade at high school, when my friends and I started planning a Russian bus. I and many others can agree that exclusion is a fact and happens in the youth environment because of the Russian celebration. This is nothing new.

In the bus environment, you can notice who is most popular, and who is simply not cool enough to stand in the bus ring. There should be ways to avoid this and create more inclusion among Russians.

It is still a problem when the city council wants to change important traditions that have lasted for several generations, and which many young people have been looking forward to since the first season of “Shame” came out.

“Two fairly recently lit flares”

Even in one of Norway’s most famous national anthems, (“Norge in Red, White and Blue” from 1941), the Russian is mentioned as a large part of the celebration:

“One spring day in a sunny moment on the bench in the student grove, he and she are sitting there. Two young newly hatched russ, two very recently lit flares at twenty degrees plus.”

Many people’s desire to move the Russian period to after graduation overrides traditions that were written about during the occupation period in Norway itself in 1941.

17 May marks the end of a big youth party that even our grandparents took part in. A day where Russian itself is sung at the top of its lungs in the children’s train, and Russian cards are collected in piles. This will be changed because of the exam period, a period which does not really have any fixed days or traditions.

I will honor May 17th

Then I ask: Is it so important for the city council to change such a fine and long-standing tradition just so that the exam dates are given priority?

The exam might as well be before the Russian holiday so that we, young people, can party without feeling like it’s a demonstration against the school. It is May 17 that is important.

If we hadn’t had National Day in May, we probably wouldn’t have had this discussion. Perhaps we would also not have the traditional and unique Russian time that we have today, and which they do not have in any other country.

I want a month to party after a hard exam period and honor May 17 as a wonderful day, bus or not.

I want to celebrate just as the Russians have celebrated before us, and preserve everything as it is now. Previous school leavers have been able to do both homework and exams, so this generation should also be able to do it.