88 years ago, in Crimea, the All-Union Pioneer Camp “Artek”, now known as the International Children’s Center “Artek”, was established. 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 photos

88 years ago, in Crimea, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Artek” was established – which has since become the International Children’s Center “Artek”. The world-famous “Artek” children’s health resort is located on the southern coast of Crimea, 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 children’s camp opened on June 16, 1925. The first group of 80 pioneers arrived from Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk, and Crimea. The following year, the first foreign delegation – pioneers from Germany – visited “Artek”. Initially, the first residents of “Artekk” lived in tents made of canvas. Later, lightweight wooden houses were built on the shore. In the 1930s, thanks to the construction of a winter facility in the upper area of the camp grounds, “Artek” was able to operate on a year-round basis. During the Great Patriotic War, “Arteek” was evacuated first to Stalingrad and then to the Altai village of Belokuricha. After Crimea was liberated from the occupying forces, 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, “Arteks” international cooperation increased significantly, and large-scale construction projects were undertaken. New camps such as “Pribreny,” “Gorny,” “Yantarny,” “Khristalyny,” and “Almazny” were established. During the Soviet era, a trip to “Arteek” was considered a prestigious honor for both Soviet children and foreign students. At its peak, the camp could accommodate up to 27,000 children each year. Many famous people visited “Arteek” over the years, including Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Gagarin, Indira Gandhi, Nikita Khrushchev, Jawaharlal Nehru, Benjamin Spock, Valentina Tereshkova, and Lev Yazhin. In 1990, as a result of organizational reforms, the All-Union Pioneers Camp “Arteek” was transformed into the International Children’s Center “Artek”, focusing on providing leisure and health activities for children and adolescents. Today, “Arteek” belongs to Ukraine.