Armenian Youth celebrates the International Students’ Day

Today marks the International Students’ Day since November 17 1946 when World Students Congress made a decision to commemorate the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague after demonstrations against killing of the Polish student Jan Opletal.

Aysor’s correspondents undertook a survey to find out whether Armenian students know about this holiday and why November 17 marks IS Day.

Only some interviewed students have heard some congratulatory a day before related to the celebrations, others haven’t ever heard about IS Day at all, and only a few knew historical facts and heard about Jan Opletal.

History is as follows: during late 1939 the Nazi occupants of the Czechoslovakia, in Prague, suppressed a demonstration held by students of the Medical Faculty of the Charles University on October 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the independence of the Czechoslovak Republic.

The peaceful demonstration was dispersed left one student dead. Jan Opletal’s funerals turned into a protest rally. Seeing this great force of students Nazi arrested nearly 1200 students and executed nine. After all, Adolf Hitler ordered to close all Czech universities which reopened their doors to students only after war ended. The 17th of November was first marked as the International Students' Day in 1941 in London by the International Students' Council which had many refugee members.

Meanwhile, today Armenia marks the anniversary of Armenian Alma Mater. Yerevan State University celebrates today its 90th anniversary. Thus, the International Students Day coincided with great YSU’s holiday.