Artek's birthday: the 99th anniversary of the legendary children's centre was celebrated at the RUSSIA EXPO

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For 99 years this famous international children's centre has been opening happy pages to childhood for thousands of boys and girls. On the day of the Centre's 99th anniversary, Pavilion No. 57 "Education/Decade of Science and Technology" hosted a meeting of Artek residents of the past years, and numerous masterclasses, dance flash mobs and other traditional camp counselors activities were prepared for the guests of the celebration.

"We thank Artek for bringing us all together. And no matter how old we are, we often return to the foot of Ayu-Dag Mountain, where we spent the best years of our lives. Artek cannot be forgotten, it passed through our hearts and was a motivation for life. It has no borders, and the place behind the fence in Gurzuf is just a heart, but the whole Artek is everywhere: in all subjects of the Russian Federation, in all continents," noted Vitaly Shevchenko, Head of the Artek Headquarters from 1987 to 1992, member of the Coordination Council of the Fund for Support of International Children's and Youth Initiatives "Sodruzhestvo".

The meeting was held under the motto "I swear to preserve traditions and remember through the years. An Artek member today — an Artek member forever." This was no coincidence, as the very fact of getting into Artek was always equated with the fulfillment of the most cherished wish, and the memories of a wonderful journey to the "land of childhood" remain with Artek members for life.

"Artek is a fairy tale that should never be let out of our hearts. And such meetings bring us back to our youth and childhood. For example, today I met my counselor, with whom we have not seen each other for 33 years," said Ekaterina, a participant of the 1991 camp session.

Artek residents of different years recalled the good traditions of the Centre, talked about interesting and surprising facts of its life, shared their personal stories. For example, Vladimir and Irina, having met and become friends in the camp, decided to create a real Artek family when they returned home — and a few years later their children, of course, also visited the place where dad and mom met for the first time.

"I was at Artek in 1976, and it left such an impression on me that in 1983-84 I returned there as a counselor. In 1983, I met a pioneer from 1974, and we worked together in the same group, eventually becoming husband and wife. Even our son and daughter have been to Artek — in modern-day Russia. So, Artek is our destiny; Artek brings people together. At that time, we all dreamed of a good and happy life, and a piece of that life, which we aspired to and built together as a country, was found in Artek. It was a journey into the distant future, and it was happening right now," said Vladimir.

"Coming from Chelyabinsk, I met Vladimir, a Moscow resident, and now we have two children who also carry the charge of Artek further in life. We have a very friendly Artek community, and now, on the eve of the centenary, we feel such a powerful wave that brings us closer together, brings us back to our youth and gives us confidence that everything will be fine," Irina added.

The children of the current sixth session joined the celebration of Artek's birthday at the RUSSIA EXPO via video link. They congratulated their senior "colleagues" on the holiday and shared their impressions of the famous "country of childhood".

"Artek is a big children's city, which has everything we dreamed of. Every day we have entertainment, delicious food, and not a single complaint. This is the home where all children want to go. Every single one of them! And if you don't want to get to Artek, it means you haven't seen it from all sides," said ten-year-old Alexander from Belgorod.

On Artek's birthday, a real "branch" of the Centre unfolded in Pavilion No. 57 as part of the thematic exposition. Numerous games, contests, masterclasses, a sports relay race and other activities awaited the guests. The children's musical theater "Domisolka", a regular participant of Artek events, presented a bright concert program.

Artek Children's Camp was opened on June 16, 1925. The first camp session consisted of 80 pioneers from Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk and Crimea, and the next year the first foreign delegation came to the camp — pioneers from Germany. The first Artek residents lived in tarpaulin tents.

Today, the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution Artek International Children's Centre is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The world's largest international children's centre occupies an area of 218 hectares and is a vast complex of ten children's camps with developed infrastructure, its own educational technologies and cultural traditions.