Pioneer camps in the USSR: Why they were scolded and why shortcomings turned out to be an advantage in practice

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Today, when people of the older generation remember the pioneer camps, someone imagines military barracks, someone remembers a sanatorium, and some do not even know what it is. In fact, it was a great opportunity to arrange children's leisure time. And even send a child to the sea. Read whether the early rise was so terrible, how the Soviet pioneers rested, how it was possible to get into a prestigious camp, why the girls glued their shoes to the floor and what was the first ball of the Soviet Natasha Rostovs.

Climbing the forge, strict schedule and harsh counselors

When parents received letters from pioneer camps, most often the children complained about the strict schedule. Like, it’s not the light, not the dawn that wakes up, it’s dark, you have to jump up with the sounds of a bugle. In fact, it was rare to get up at 6 in the morning. Most often, children were woken up at eight. Although, they had to quickly get up, clean the bed, run to the washroom and after that appear at the morning building. It was given for this no more than 20 minutes.

Boys often ignored water procedures, girls were more responsible, because they were late. The punishment could be "harsh" - push-ups. Most of all the pioneers hated the quiet hour after lunch. For two hours, the students had to sleep soundly and gain health. In reality, no one was going to do this. The girls chatted, discussing the boys, and the boys were just mad. But it was especially "cool" to tell blood-curdling stories about green eyes floating on the wall or about a black hand that strangled everyone. The counselors tried to keep order, but sometimes they turned a blind eye to everything.

The lights went out at nine o'clock in the evening. For those accustomed to reading a book or watching TV, it was not easy to come to terms with it. Therefore, in the evening, the daytime quiet hour was repeated. No one fell asleep right away, on the contrary, pillow fights began, forays into neighboring rooms (wards), reading books under the covers under the dim light of a flashlight.

From the mid-70s of the 20th century, the regime became more gentle: dance evenings began to be organized in the camps. They were expected, they were seriously preparing for them. It was a real holiday.

Busy all the time: circles, excursions and lectures

Children in the camps were constantly busy: pioneer affairs, construction, physical education, political information, other general events, various circles and sections. Interest groups were formed without fail, children still had to sign up somewhere.

Standard choices are art club, soccer team, young naturalists. Well, whatever you like, since the filling of the leisure was completely dependent on the administration of the camp and the counselors. In the late 80s, rock music circles appeared, and this was a real breakthrough.

Despite the ideological background, former pioneers never say that they were bored in the camps. Even patriotic education in a playful way was fun: one could imagine oneself as a scout, partisan, or a Red Army soldier. Of course, there were camps where the staff and the counselors did not care, nothing happened, the sections did not function. Then, indeed, one could get bored. Fortunately, there were not many such places.

Children were taken on orientation or educational excursions. For example, in the Crimea, the cave city of Chufut-Kale and the Bakhchisarai Palace were visited. If there was a theater or circus nearby, they were also on the list. The pioneers liked it because it was interesting.

Sea and sun - how parents tried to send their children to camps on the Black Sea coast

Many pioneer camps had an important advantage that overlapped all possible disadvantages, namely: the opportunity to arrange a holiday for a child in nature, and even at sea. Parents tried to get a ticket to a trade union organization, then it was really cheap. If the camp was ordinary, not prestigious, then there were no problems at all. This is how the young pioneers rested - first, my mother took a voucher for June at her research institute, then dad at the factory, for July, and in August my grandmother hurried up and took out the coveted piece of paper through some acquaintance.

Not all camps were located on the seaside, but a river or lake was most often present. Of course, getting to the Black Sea was considered a great success. The first half of the day was usually spent on the beach, where the children were swimming and sunbathing. Those who did not know how to stay on the water were taught. Of course, the teachers kept order - it was impossible to leave the territory, as well as to swim behind the buoys, take off panamas, throw sand, and so on. But still, great!

Boys and girls, bottle game and discos

Gender relations undoubtedly played an important role. Boys were interested in girls, and vice versa. The boys frightened the pioneers with frogs and snakes, poured water on them, and the girls, in response, smeared them with toothpaste at night or glued their sandals to the floor.

There have always been more girls than boys. Therefore, the struggle for the gentlemen was serious. More often than not, the "relationship" was platonic. The most "depraved" game was the bottle. The container from the lemonade unrolled, and when it stopped, it pointed to the couple who were to kiss.

Today, a disco won't surprise anyone, but in Soviet times it was a welcome event that was eagerly awaited. The children did not know how to dance, but the romantic stomping next to a slow melody was considered special chic. Many women who went to pioneer camps in childhood compare the pioneer disco with the first ball. Usually the pioneers were bolder than the pioneers, so they invited the boys they liked to dance. It was considered a strong act, and the dance partners did not really mind.

War games and a farewell bonfire

After the war, the pioneer camps gradually began to resemble a kind of sanatorium. Of course, the military elements remained - detachments, a strict regime and military-patriotic games. The famous "Zarnitsa", in which all the pioneers took part. Boys took on the role of fighters. It was most important for them to defeat the enemy. The girls, on the other hand, were organizing a military field hospital: they prepared bandages, cut the bandages, cleaned the stretcher and put the magic medicine "brilliant green" in a prominent place. The rules were conditional. For example, by sewing on a torn off shoulder strap, it was possible to "heal" a soldier.

The shift ended with a pioneer fire. In the clearing, a cone of firewood was collected, whole buckets of potatoes were washed, and the camp was put in order. The best clothes were worn for the solemn line. Guests were invited, it could be both famous people and camp workers.

At the solemn line, the best detachments were awarded, certificates and pennants were presented. Well-established pioneers lowered the flag. When it got dark, they kindled a fire, around which all the children and counselors sat down. You could sing, laugh, remember interesting incidents, and you didn't have to go to bed at 9 pm.

In general, the pioneers, according to the idea of the party, were to become a new generation, with new principles and attitude to life. They had to to be informers and to suffer for the idea, for which later the young communists suffered at the hands of adult avengers.