Back in the USSR: The Young Pioneers, the Soviet Union’s version of the Boy Scouts

Society & Culture May 19, 2020, 17:49

On May 19, 1922 All-Union Young Pioneer Organization was founded

On May 19, 1922, the Vladimir Lenin All-Union Young Pioneer Organization was founded. The USSR’s Young Pioneer Organization was modeled on the Scout movement but formally paid much more attention to ideology. Practically all schoolchildren aged 9-14 wore red ties, a symbol of belonging to the multimillion army of Soviet pioneers - formerly known as the Little Octobrists, a Communist organization for children aged under 9, and future members of the Youth Communist League. Apart from doing well at school, the Young Pioneers did a lot of socially useful work, such as collecting scrap metal and waste paper. They took part in a military sport game called “Sheet Lighting” and went to various hobby groups. That was what the life of a young pioneer was like. 

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