This year solely one student is graduating from Grade 12 at the school of Lermontovo village in Lori Province of Armenia. 

“All my classmates left the school after completing Grade 9,” said Tatyana Shutova, the school’s only Grade 12 graduate, speaking to Armenian News-NEWS.am. “Some of them went to work, and some of them did not want to learn [further]. But I wanted so much to go to school, continue my education.”

So as not to be alone at Friday’s Last Bell event, however, Tatyana was attending the respective festive occasion together with the Grade 9 graduates of this school.  

Even though she is happy for not being alone, she is sad that her peers are not with her during this event. 

“My former classmates today came to encourage me,” noted Tatyana. “But I would have wanted that they had finished school together with me and we had celebrated the Last Bell together.”

The Last Bell, which heralds the end of school year for graduating students, is a tradition coming from the ex-Soviet times. This day is celebrated in a variety of countries, and numerous respective events are organized.