Some 2,800 children from 15 countries attended events to mark the 50th anniversary of Orlyonok, formerly one of the Soviet Union's most notable pioneer camps and now Russia's main children's center.
"This legendary recreational center, located on the Black Sea coast, annually gathers thousands of children from all regions of the country and from abroad. And I'm sure that for all of them a visit to Orlyonok becomes a truly lucky moment, a bright and interesting event," Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in a congratulatory telegram.
Over 2,600 children from all Russian regions and some 200 teenagers from G8 and CIS countries attended events to mark Orlyonok's birthday, according to the camp's chief, Alexander Dzheus.
The Orlyonok (Eaglet) pioneer camp opened on July 12, 1960 on the Black Sea coast near the town of Tuapse. Nowadays, the complex of six camps covers an area of 244 hectares and receives about 20,000 children aged from 11 to 15 years annually.
Orlyonok and its "older brother," the Soviet Union's oldest and most prestigious pioneer camp Artek in Ukraine's Crimea, were a dream of almost every Soviet child. However, only those who showed excellent study or won prizes at various national-level education contests or sports competitions could hope to receive an invitation.
In 1991, Orlyonok was turned into a national children's center. In 2005, it received the status of a state educational institution. At present, Orlyonok also serves as a training ground for more than 50 international, national and regional target programs in education and recreation.
A total of 16,000 Russian schoolchildren annually have their trips to Orlyonok almost entirely financed from the state budget, paying a symbolic fee of 100 rubles (about $3). The remaining places in the camp are sold at market prices.
Among the camp's most notable visitors are emergences minister Sergei Shoigu, Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko, prominent chess players Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, astronaut Sergei Volkov and others.
MOSCOW, July 12 (RIA Novosti)
