88 years ago, the All-Union Pioneer Camp “Artek”, now known as the International Children’s Center “Artek”, was established in Crimea. This world-famous children’s health resort is located on the southern coast of Crimea, 12 kilometers away from Yalta. “Artekh” was founded with the aim of providing a safe and healthy environment for children to enjoy their childhood.2 张照片

88 years ago, in Crimea, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Artek” was established – which has since evolved into the International Children’s Center “Artek”. This world-famous children’s health resort is located on the southern coast of Crimea, just 12 kilometers away from Yalta. It was founded as a sanatorium camp for children suffering from tuberculosis, at the initiative of Zinoviy Solovyov, chairman of the Russian Red Cross Society. The camp opened on June 16, 1925. The first group of guests consisted of 80 pioneers from Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk, and Crimea. The following year, the first foreign delegation – pioneers from Germany – visited Artek. Initially, the residents of Artek lived in tents made of canvas. Later, lightweight wooden houses were built along the shore. In the 1930s, the construction of a winter dormitory building in the upper area of the camp grounds allowed Artek to operate on a year-round basis. During the Great Patriotic War, Artek was evacuated first to Stalingrad and then to the Altaian village of Belokurikha. After Crimea was liberated from the invaders, restoration work began in April 1944. The first post-war session opened in August 1944, and a year later, the camp area was expanded to its current size. In the 1960s, Artek vigorously developed its international connections and undertook large-scale construction projects. New camps such as “Pribreny”, “Gorny”, “Yantarny”, “Khristalyny”, and “Almazny” were established. During the Soviet era, a trip to Artek was regarded as a prestigious honor for both Soviet children and foreign students. At its peak, Artek received up to 27,000 applications each year. Many famous figures visited Artek over the years, including Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Gagarin, Indira Gandhi, Nikita Khrushchev, Jawaharlal Nehru, Benjamin Spock, Valentina Tereshkova, and Lev Yashin. In 1990, as a result of organizational reforms, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Artek” was transformed into the International Children’s Center “Artek”, focusing on providing leisure and health programs for children and adolescents. Today, Artek is under the jurisdiction of Ukraine.