A day in the life of rural teacher Nina Ivanova

While in the beginning of September Russia celebrates the Day of Knowledge, a festivity mostly for students, in the beginning of October the country celebrates Teacher's Day. // Staroutkinsk, Sverlovsk region, 1113 miles from Moscow

While in the beginning of September Russia celebrates the Day of Knowledge, a festivity mostly for students, in the beginning of October the country celebrates Teacher's Day. // Staroutkinsk, Sverlovsk region, 1113 miles from Moscow

Sergey Poteryaev
Today we will tell the story of the typical rural Russian language teacher, Nina Ivanovna Ivanova.
Today we will tell the story of the typical rural Russian language teacher, Nina Ivanovna Ivanova.
In the Soviet Union Teacher's Day was commemorated on October 1. In 1994 UNESCO established the World Teacher's Day, celebrated on October 5 and Russia also moved the holiday to that date.
Staroutkinsk is a small settlement 75 miles from Yekaterinburg. It was founded in 1729 during the industrialization of the Urals.
Nina Ivanovna has been working at the local school for a long time, while her entire career spans 46 years.
A teacher is not only a person who teaches the sciences; he or she is also a bearer of spirituality and moral virtues. Teachers carry out a special civic duty: the education of the young generation.
The economy of this region is connected with metallurgy and metalworking. Currently, there are slightly over 3,000 residents in this settlement.
There is only one school in the settlement, School №13.
Between 1986 and 1991 Nina Ivanovna taught Russian in East Germany to children of military personnel.
Nina Ivanovna admitted that, although she lived well in East Germany, she really wanted to return to her motherland. And she did return after a certain period.
The wall that serves as a background for her portrait marvelously reflects the values of the rural teacher: Russian nature and photographs of her daughter and grandchildren.
Besides photographs of her grandchildren, her house is also full of icons.
"Feeling guilty for not paying my daughter the necessary attention, I promised to do my best for my grandchildren, to help them any way I can," says Nina Ivanovna.
"I also care very much for my students. I can't do otherwise."
"Entering the school, all my problems disappear and I fully dedicate myself to my work. Sometimes I worry too much about what will happen to my students."

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