The first day of school -- a time of butterflies in the stomach and big bows in the hair. RFE/RL photographers went back to school themselves to capture children in some of our broadcast countries on their first day back after the summer holidays. Even though September 1 fell on a Saturday this year, schools in countries throughout the former Soviet Union still welcomed students, while in other regions children started the school year on September 3.
Bows, Bells, Balloons, And Butterflies -- It's Back To School
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Lining up for the first day at an elementary school in Podgorica, Montenegro, on September 3.
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September 3 was the first day of school in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
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First-graders in Tashkent on September 3.
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The school year began on September 1 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, at the Nizami Ganjavi School No. 9.