How Bauman University Students Celebrate the Graduation

Pictures from the graduation party of Bauman University students

[ Photos and report about the graduation of Bauman university students are from http://zyalt.livejournal.com/580839.html ]

Students of the Moscow State Technical University have one of the funniest traditions to celebrate the graduation.

During the party they ride in the bath basins, bath tubes and sofas, throw out the lecture notes and exercise-books from the windows, dance and drink a lot of beer and champagne. This tradition has a long history and every June is witnessed by the residents living near “Izmailovskaya” subway station.

Main cheer of the graduates is “Who is engineer? I am engineer!”

The rides are mostly organized near the dormitories on Izmailovskoe Avenue.

First the basin is driven downstairs. There are several variants. According to one version the graduate must come down from his/her floor (where he/she lived in the dormitory) to the first floor – stopping at each level for a drink. In second version – everyone descends from the sixth floor (as the number of academic years for engineers).

From the press service of the university – “We don’t really like this tradition, it started not so long ago, but each year the graduates organize these massive basin rides <…> Bathing in the fountains, throwing the refrigerators out of windows and riding in the basins – is not high style“.

And here is what the students themselves write about this custom: “In the 20th century it was still possible to ride around the block – from Izmailovskoe Avenue, to the 6th Parkovaya, then along Nizhniaya Pervomayskaya and 7th Parkovaya back to the dorms. But since then the police began to block the exits, and we can only ride on Izmailovskoe around the dorms“.

“Students used to stuff the basins with lecture notes and above them put pillows. Because of that Izmailovskoe was reminding a chicken farm for a long time after the party – feathers were evenly lying everywhere.”

“Sometimes guys are even using the old baths tubes and refrigerators. This, however, is rather traumatic, and therefore not very popular.”

Not everyone shares this opinion: “Only girls use the pillows. Actually, the bath basins are for kids. Here everyone remembers two “bobsleighists” who got into refrigerator and rode downstairs. They made only one floor, but it was something to remember!“

“This is just the beginning … It will continue here until July … Especially when a lot of students receive diplomas on the same day… it’s almost non-stop – 24 hours a day… One day flows into another, graduates replace each other… “

Lecture notes are thrown out of the windows, and soon the neighborhood is covered with papers, feathers and bottles.

“They say that in the past this entertainment was limited only to the territory of dormitories. But later more wealthy students (with the cars) appeared and the action got out into the streets.”

“When you have passed all exams, you just need the feeling of complete freedom! You come to the walls of the native dorms, where your friends already wait for you – brothers with the speeches, basins and refrigerators ready. You somehow ride downstairs and barely standing (from alcohol), crawl to the basin and the car. And then all drunkenness disappears at once. This is awesome and creepy at the same time. When the speedometer is 60 (kilometers per hour) – in the basin you feel as if it’s 200! Unbelievable! Awesome! And you are completely soaked in beer, changing your outfit couple of times during that day because the flow of beer and champagne is limitless. Guys, this is awesome! It’s a memory for whole life!“

Comments of Russian netizens

tantum_verde:  Like in the past, nothing has changed.

bioplant:  That’s why the roads built by these engineers look like that.

 wildkiller:  Such celebrations make a depressing impression…

prosto_vova:  I myself participated in such event some 10 years ago.

antonukhanov:  Damn, I would like to be a student in Bauman.

reinoldson:  The tradition of riding in the bath basins exists in many technical universities in Russia.

moya_strast:  In fact, many students not from dormitories join them.

otpbibku:  Alcoholics and pigs.

fcb07:  I am almost engineer and the first three days after getting diploma I remember very vaguely.

hard_korzhe:  And this drunk crowd are the future specialists of large companies and corporations?

my_iz_jazza:  Silly, not-ecologic, traumatic and AWESOME!!! Ahh!!!! Where are my 22 years?

[Note:  In Russian, when someone nostalgically remembers his/her youth - he/she can say - "Where are my 18 (20, 22, ...) years?"]

almodavaro:  Cool!! but not enough chicks in the dormitories.

cherepaha_big:  Just yesterday saw all this mess near the dorms… Remember I asked myself – why do these strange people in helmets ride in the bath basins? I thought – they’ve drunk too much… but no, seems they have studied too much.