26.09.2016, DPR.
30 gifted children of Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Saturday went to the International Children Center “Artek” to study and have a rest, the leading expert of the Suplementary Education Department of the DPR Ministry of Education and Science Alina Bortnik informed Donetsk News Agency reporter on September 24th.
“We saw happy faces of 30 gifted children, winners of various contests and competitions from towns and regions of DPR. They were taken there in comfortable buses. The children are going to study in Artek school, rest ‘at the bluest of the seas’. Also, an extensive cultural program is scheduled”, she added.
The children will stay in Artek until October 16th.
It is expected that this is not the last group of children going to the famous children center this year. The gifted children from all of the Republic will be sent there in October, November and December as well.
Artek is the former Soviet All-Union Young Pioneer camp founded on June 16, 1925. It is situated near the Black Sea in the town of Gurzuf located on the Crimean peninsula. The Young Pioneer camps of the Soviet Union were the places of vacation for children from the Young Pioneer organization of the Soviet Union during summer and winter holidays. There were different types of camps: health camps, sports camps, tourist camps, thematic camps (for young technicians, young naturalists, young geologists etc.). Artek was the main Young Pioneer camp of the Soviet Union. Children having high achievements in education and sports from all of the Soviet Union and other countries could stay in this camp.
During Ukrainian Government times, the prestige of Artek declined, and its financing was cut. The executive board of the camp had to charge the substantial sum of money from the parents for the children’s accommodation. It meant that mostly children of rich people could rest in Artek.
After Crimea returned to Russia, this tendency seems to be changed. In fall 2014 5 billion rubles (over 90 million euros at the time, currently equivalent to 70 million euros) were allocated from Russian budget to repair Artek. A total of 20 thousand children visited Artek in 2015. Children once again can visit Artek for free for achievements in education, science, culture, sports, volunteering.
Source: Donetsk News Agency
