Soviet Young Pioneer Camps: Food


Figure 1.--

The Soviet Union had some of the richest agricultural land in the world. As a result of Stalin's forced collectivization, agriculture became one of the country's weakest economic sectors. Even so, we assumed that the children attending Young Pioneer summer camps would have good if plain food. Here we have different reports. A Canadian who attended one of the prestigious camps reports that she and the other Canadians in the group were astounded at the food they were served and they all lost weight while at the camp. In particular they missed vegetables and fruit and especially milk. A Russian reader on the other hand tells us that the food at the camps he attended was plentiful and good and the Soviet children gained weight. These two accounts are rather difficult to reconsile.

Collectivization

The Soviet Union had some of the richest agricultural land in the world. As a result of Stalin's forced collectivization, agriculture became one of the country's weakest economic sectors. Agricultural production after impressive gains durng the NEP of the 1920s declined in the 1930s. This was in sharp contrast to rising industrial production and wholly the result of Stalin's decession to end individual peasant propretorship (1929-31). We do not fully understand Stalin's thought processes here. There may have been an element of idelogical purity involved. The organization of the collective proved useful in fighting the NAZI invasion. The principal reason, however, appears to be that private proprietors were an independent interest group outside his control and he wanted total control of not only the Sovet state, but of Soviet society as well.

Food in the Soviet Union

Food production was further impaired by World war II. The NAZIs destroyed villages throughout the occupied areas Ukraine, Whjite Russia, and Russia. Even after thecWar, agriculture continued to be a weak sector in the Soviet economy. We assumed that the children attending Young Pioneer summer camps would have good if plain food. Here we have different reports. These accounts are rather difficult to reconsile. The Canadian observer, Kristen Koza, tells us that they began looking for fruit and vegetables after only a few days in Moscow and all they could come up with was a cabbage. [Koza]

Ideology and Reality

The group leaders who champeroned the Canadian campers were Canadian Communists. They provided background information to Canadian children coming to the Soviet Union to attend a Pioneer summer camp. There talks to the children constantly explained the superority of the Soviet Union, this included Soviet agriculture. Of course speaking to children they did not present a lot of statistics, which in any case would have been embarassing. The problem was that the children wondered if Soviet agriculture was so superior, why was the food so bad? The group leaders also told the choldren not to brag about the affluence in Canada because it would embarass their Sovirt hosts. Kirsten wondered not only if the Soviet system was so superior, why did the Soviet Union not an affluent country. She also wondered if the Soviets could brag about their country, why couldn't she brag avout Canada. The question of Soviet agriculture got even more muddled when they actually visited a collective farm and found it a dreary place. She compared it to the well cared for and cheery farms she had seen in Canada.

Russian Account

A Russian reader who attended Pioneer Camps as a boy tells us that the food at the camps was plentiful and good and the Soviet children gained weight. He believes that the report from our Canadian observer is in part a child's reaction to differences in how food is prepared in a different country. Here is the message from our Russian reader. (At this tome all we have is a computer generated translation that does not do justice to his original message.)

Russian-language text

Да, Орленок был Всероссийским пионерским лагерем, в то время как Артек был Всесоюзным лагерем. Позже появился ещё один такой лагерь - Океан недалеко от Владивостока - тоже Всероссийский пионерский лагерь. Мне интересно было прочитать воспоминания Kirsten. Однако следует помнить, что её впечатления- впечатления 11-летнего ребенка попавшего в другую страну. Она упоминает, что в Орленке была плохая пища. Но в каждой стране пища своя, в соответствии с традициями той страны. В общем в пионерских лагерях конечно же была русская кухня. Она включает в себя несколько иные блюда, отличающиеся от тех к каким Kirsten привыкла в своей стране. Не всем же нравятся ваши гамбургеры. Мне, например, совсем не нравятся картофель-фри и гамбургеры или чисбургеры что подают в Макдональдсах - не привычны мы к такой пище. Так же многим американцам не нравятся например борщ или другие блюда русской кухни. Если бы меня во время моей поездки в 11 лет например к вам в США кормили исключительно гамбургерами и чисбургерами с кока-колой мне бы тоже это не понравилось и я бы тоже сказал, что питание в америке очень плохое. Изначально абсолютно все пионерские лагеря задумывались (это конец 20-х и начало 30-х годов) именно как место, где городские дети в летний период смогут в сельской местности (в те времена более богатой продуктами питания) поправить свое здоровье в том числе и за счет более хорошего питания, чем в городах, где большинство продуктов в то время распределялось по карточной системе. Естественно, что дети в то время постоянно хотели есть, ведь растущие организмы требуют этого. Вот и стала развиваться в стране сеть летних пионерских лагерей. Ну а так как пионерская организация в принципе была детской политической организацией, то и в лагеря перешли некоторые идеологические установки того времени. Когда я был мальчиком, то я тоже ездил несколько раз в такие летние лагеря. Кормили нас хорошо. Когда мы приезжали в лагерь, нас осматривали врачи и измеряли наш вес - сколько весит каждый ребенок. В конце смены (через 24 дня) снова измеряли наш вес и записывали на сколько килограммов ребенок прибавил в весе. Но это не говорит о том, что нас там только откармливали и больше ничего. В пионерском лагере было интересно проводить время, ведь там были все те мероприятия, про которые писала Kristen в Орленке. И не только такие, но и многие другие, в том числе различные ролевые игры и другое. Питанию детей в летних лагерях всегда, и во времена СССР и сейчас уделяется большое внимание. Сейчас, конечно же, питание более разнообразное чем в былые времена. Другое время - другая и пища. Последний раз я сталкивался с детским летним лагерем года три назад, когда отправлял туда свою дочь. Никаких жалоб в отношении питания ни от неё ни от других детей не было, наоборот, они говорили что еды даже слишком много. Если надо что-то еще уточнить - напишите вопросы. Всего доброго. [Bogdanov]

English-langiage text

Yes, eaglet was All-Russian pioneer camp, while Artek was All-Union camp. More lately appeared one additional such camp - ocean not far from Vladivostok - also All-Russian pioneer camp. To me interesting it was to read recollections Kirsten. However, one should remember that its impression of the impression of the 11-year child of that fallen into other country. It mentions, that in the eaglet there was the poor food. But in each country food its, in accordance with the traditions of that country. On the whole in the pioneer camps there was certainly Russian kitchen. It includes somewhat different dishes, which differ from those to what Kirsten of privykla in its country. Not all please themselves your gamburgery. Me, for example, they in no way please themselves potatoes -fri and gamburgery or chisburgery that will give in MacDonalds - we are not customary to this food. Borsch or other dishes of Russian kitchen so do not please themselves many Americans for example. If me during my trip to 11 years for example to you in THE USA they would feed exclusively shityu gamburgerami and chisburgerami with Coca-Cola to me also this it would not be pleased by 4 he also said that the nourishment in America is very poor. Originally absolutely all pioneer of camp thought (this the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 30th it was annual) precisely as the place, where the urban children in the summer period can in the rural locality (in those times of the of richer in food products) repair their health including due to a more good nourishment than in the cities, where the majority of products at that time was distributed along the rationing system. It is natural that the children at that time constantly wanted to eat, indeed the growing organisms require this. The network of summer pioneer camps here and began to be developed in the country. Well and since pioneer organization in principle was children's political organization, then in camp send some ideological installations of that time. When I was boy, then I also drove several times in such summer of camp. They fed us well. When we arrived into the camp, doctors inspected us and our weight was measured - each child how much weighs. At the end of the change (after 24 days) they again measured our weight and wrote on how many kilograms child it added in the weight. But this does not speak, that us there only fattened more than anything. In the pioneer camp it was interesting to spend time, indeed there were there all those measures, about which she wrote Kristen in the eaglet. And not only such, but also many are other, including different role games other. To the nourishment of children in the summer camps always, and in the times OF THE USSR and is now paid considerable attention. Now, it is certain, nourishment is more diverse than in the bylye times. Another time - other and food. The last time I encountered children's summer camp year three back, when was sent her there daughter. There were any complaints whatever with respect to nourishment either from it or from other children not, on the contrary, they spoke that food even too much. If it is necessary to still refine something - write questions. Entire good. - with the respect, [Bogdanov]

Canadian Account

Kirsten Koza, an 11-year old Canadian girl, attended the prestigious Orlyonok Camp. She reports that she and the other Canadians in the group were astounded at the food they were served. They had a problem with the food, even at the hotel they stayed at when they first arrived in Moscow. They had even more of a problem with the camp food. In particular they missed vegetables and fruit and especially milk. She tells us that the food was, however, terrible. And Orlyonok was a show case camp. This surprised me somewhat. I had thought that the food would be basic, but reasonable at the camp. Kirsten reports that it was dreadful and there was almost a total absence of fruit and vegetables. The Canadian children all lost weight while at the camp. Our Russian reader is right that the Canadian reports are the memories of an 11-year old child. This affects the validity of her observations. I know that children can be difficult about food. I have both worked in summer camps and taken students to foreign countries (Mexico). Reactions to foreign food is a factor to be consudered. For example the Canadian children did not like fish served with the heads on. However, Kirsten's complaints were not so must differences in the preparation. They were more concerned with the quality of the food and the variety. She for example likes porriage, but not the porriage she was served. But the main complaint was the absence of vegetables, fruit, and milk (she doesn't like Coke/pop) in the diet. [Koza] These are things that Americans and Canadians would take for granted that children would be served in summer camp. In fact in sounds a little funny to American ears to here a child complaining anout not having vegetables.

Reconciling the Accounts

Kirsten tells us, "I think it's easy to reconcile the two accounts. We're really pretty spoiled in the west--and the kids from the middle east for example gorged at Orlyonok--they gorged on the same whole boiled fish and boiled tongue with taste buds, that we couldn't even swallow. We got thinner and thinner because we didn't like what we were served, even when the camp administration tried to cater to us, which resulted in plain boiled noodles for breakfast instead of macaroni and cheese. To this day the thought of kasha and a whole boiled fish with eyes and tail isn't my idea of a yummy breakfast. [Koza, 10.04/05)

2005 Account

An adult HBC reader from Britain provides us an update from a former Pioneer Camp in Siberia. He spent a few weeks there working on his Russian during the summer of 2005. He tells us, "It was not very good the food in the Pioneer camp! Food of cours depends on what you are used to. The food at the Siberian camp was horrible. It was a unimaginative diet. Rice pudding or porrage for breakfast. Coarse bread--no butter might be margarine to spread. There might be a piece of cheese. The drinks were mainly fruit juice. Tea and coffee were available only at meal times. There were sausages which had been boiled and looked uncooked. No eggs but we once had a piece of chicken. There was lots of chick wheat. I never got used to this and could not eat it. We had apples, oranges and bananas to eat in the evening. The Russian adults at the camp assured me that all this was an improvement over Soviet times. The basic improvement over Soviet times was the inclusion of fresh fruit. The menu was basic food and would have been the same then as now. There was a rotating 3 day menu. One day we had a cuisine day. We talked about food from different countries. The Italian teacher student made pizza and an Italian cake. This was done in the camp kitchen . This activity was part of the fee camp owners charged the school for using its facilities. My reaction was not entirely a cultural matter. The modern Russian kids did not like the food either. They went out of the camp to the local store. Here they bought bread and fish and then they went to the beach to eat the feast." [Ferguson]

Sources

Bogdanov. Victor. E-mail message, October 4, 2005.

Ferguson, William. E-mail message, October 4, 2005.

Koza, Kirsten. Lost in Moscow (Turnstone Press, 2005).

Koza, Kirsten. E-mail message, October 4, 2005.







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Created: October 04, 2005
Last updated: October 04, 2005