88 years ago, the All-Union Pioneer Camp “Artek” was established in Crimea; it is now known as the International Children’s Center “Artek.” The world-famous children’s health resort “Artek” is located on the southern coast of Crimea, 12 kilometers away from Yalta. “Artek” was founded as…2 photos

88 years ago, in Crimea, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Artekh” was established – which is now known as the International Children’s Center “Artekh”. The world-famous children’s health resort “Artekh” 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, president of the Russian Red Cross Society. The children’s camp officially opened on June 16, 1925. The first group of participants consisted of 80 pioneers from Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk, and Crimea. The following year, the first foreign delegation – pioneers from Germany – visited Artekh. Initially, the first residents of Artekh lived in tents made of canvas. Later, lightweight wooden cabins were constructed along the shore. In the 1930s, the construction of a winter facility in the upper area of the camp grounds allowed Artekh to operate on a year-round basis. During the Great Patriotic War, Artekh was evacuated first to Stalingrad and then to the Altaian settlement of Belokurikha. After Crimea was liberated from the invaders, restoration work began in April 1944, and the first post-war session opened in August of the same year. A year later, the camp area was expanded to its current size. In the 1960s, Artekh actively developed its international connections and underwent extensive construction projects. New camps such as “Pribreny,” “Gorny,” “Yantarny,” “Khrustalyny,” and “Almazny” were established. During the Soviet era, a trip to Artekh was considered a prestigious honor for both Soviet children and foreign students. At its peak, Arteh received up to 27,000 applications each year. Many famous individuals visited Artekh 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 changes, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Artekh” was restructured into the International Children’s Center “Artekh,” focusing on providing recreational and health programs for children and adolescents. Today, Artekh is under the jurisdiction of Ukraine.