'Dobrograd' Kids' Camp

Situated on the banks of the Angara about an hour from Svirsk, the camp allowed me to see first hand the efforts to improve the camp and the experience for the children who attend, and some of the difficulties faced by youth groups. I went with Mark, a volunteer from the Baikal Ecological Wave, an NGO working to protect Baikal. We helped with work and gave presentations on ecological issues and volunteering.

As part of an ongoing process, summer camps are clearing, renovating and improving the site. The children generally come from Svirsk, a small town which has several factories. There are some ecological issues in the town with waste and rubbish issue. One of the aims, in addition to giving young people something to do during the holidays, is to alter young people’s attitudes to the environment and the world around them.

The state of the camp offers an insight into state support for community initiatives. Built in the Soviet Union for the Pioneers (one of the Soviet Union’s youth groups), the camp consists of several single-story wooden dorms, each with about 16 rooms. A mess hall, a fairly large kitchen, a shower house, flower beds, small statues and murals all point to what was once a thriving site.

However, following the fall of the Soviet Union the camp has fallen into disrepair. Having not been used for years, and suffering from a lack of funding the camp site is overgrown, with the buildings rotting and falling apart. The faded murals and empty plinths conjure up more the image of decay than a revitalized youth movement. A vandalized Soviet painting inside one building complemented the faded Pioneer mural overlooking the main square.

Happily, the children at the camp proved to be the opposite of their surroundings. Friendly and chatty, their tasks included building steps, clearing grass and weeds from the centre of the camp site, creating flower beds and helping with food preparation.

Mark and I saw the opportunity to use an old swimming pool as a football pitch. Clearing away weeds and overgrowth from the bottom of the pool, the makeshift pitch proved hugely popular with the children in the evening.

Having become used to the foreigners, the children talked about their lives in Svirsk, and some of the problems in the town. Although there were some initial concerns over the lack of showers and the quality of the food, after a ‘clear the air’ meeting the camp improved.

It was impressive to see children of 15 and 16 years old working to improve something for future generations. The adults at the camp gave their time for free. As camp leader Maria Alexandrovna explained to the children “I do this in the hope that my children and their children have somewhere to come to”. It seemed like the kids had the same thoughts too.