The start of the new school year

On Saturday, 30 September, the Ukrainian Sunday School “Nadija”, which operates under the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia, celebrated the solemn opening of its 26th school season!

The school’s deputy head and handicrafts teacher Alla Inno-Yakymenko addressed the children and parents and wished everyone a successful year. She also spoke about how for so many years the Sunday school has worked to give children from Ukraine the opportunity to keep their native language and not forget their cultural traditions. She thanked all the teachers for their dedicated work: Liudmyla Hramiak – head of the bandura ensemble and singing teacher, Tetiana Klymenko – teacher of Ukrainian studies and the Ukrainian language, and Dmytro Dobrovolskyi – a Ukrainian artist who teaches drawing and art at the school.

The opening of the 26th season was attended by Oksana Volodymyrivna Mamutova, the founder of the school, who back in 1998 dared to open a Sunday school at the Prosvita society!

The Association’s chairman Volodymyr Palamar addressed everyone present and in particular thanked Mrs Oksana for having taken care, back then, that our children born in Estonia would preserve the Ukrainian language and culture.
“It is extremely important that we live with God in our souls and with Ukraine in our hearts. And I am very grateful to the whole school team for your work! I also want to thank those who help us: the Estonian Ministry of Culture (Kultuuriministeerium), from which we receive project funding for the school; the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia, which also supports the school financially; Member of Parliament Mrs Iryna Konstankevych, who last year gave us the banduras we so badly needed; the First Lady Olena Zelenska for help in the form of books and learning materials; and everyone who helps our children preserve their language, traditions and identity.
When you live in emigration and miss communication, you are strengthened among your own people. Our school was designed for Estonian-Ukrainian children, that is, those born here.
But now many children who came from Ukraine because of the war have joined us. They know the language, so it is now much easier for Estonian-Ukrainian children to learn the ‘nightingale language’, because they communicate with native speakers,”he noted.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia Maksym Kononenko also addressed the pupils and teachers.
“Today you have given me a celebration. I finished school a very long time ago and had even forgotten what it was like. But today, as I was walking to meet you along autumn streets with a little rain and fallen leaves, I remembered my childhood, and it felt as if I were going to first grade! I enjoyed those memories and that important part of life that each of us has.
I want to tell you that each of you has a talent. That is absolutely certain. You are all talented, I have no doubt about it. The greatest challenge for each of us is undoubtedly to find that talent within ourselves, to reveal it and understand exactly what we are talented at! The teachers here can help you with that. Learning is not an extra burden or a problem that falls on your head! It is actually an extra opportunity. And how you use it depends only on you. Think about it.
And I want to congratulate you on Teachers’ Day! Traditionally it is celebrated at the beginning of October. It is a very important profession – I know this well because my parents are teachers, my wife’s parents are educators, and this is the world I grew up in. And I know how hard it is to always be motivated and full of energy, to come and spend time with you, whatever is happening in your personal life or financially. These people put everything aside to come and spend this time with you, to give a part of themselves and help you discover yourselves. So let us congratulate all teachers on the holiday that awaits them very soon,” the Ambassador stressed.

The Sunday school children sang songs for the guests, and everyone present even played a Kahoot game with the pupils, which helps broaden their outlook and knowledge of Ukrainian history and culture.

If you would like to enrol your children in the “Nadija” school, our experienced teachers will be glad to see them in classes on:

- Ukrainian language
- Ukrainian literature
- Ukrainian studies
- music
- handicrafts
- art

You can find out more by contacting the school management directly on the page Nadija Kool.