The youth Belarusian-Russian camp "Kurgan" gathered more than 300 people in the Verkhnedvinsk district

The Belarusian-Russian youth educational and patriotic camp "Kurgan-2023", dedicated to the Year of Peace and Creation, has gathered over 300 participants in the Verkhnedvinsk district, a BELTA correspondent reports.

The youth camp, located almost on the border, opened the day before and concluded its work today. The first day was dedicated to educational, sports, and patriotic projects. An intellectual tournament "Flowers of the Great Victory" was also held for working youth. The second day began with "Folk Exercise" and the military-sports game "Northern Region". Among other things, young men and women participated in the "I Know Belarus" spill-card assembly championship, and later took part in a requiem rally at the Mound of Friendship and other commemorative events. The work of the youth camp was observed by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin.

This year, "Kurgan" has expanded its boundaries. If in July 2022 it united 14 teams, now 18 teams have arrived, including one from the Pskov region.

"Of course, our primary task is to preserve memory. But the second global, no less important task is to preserve friendship, peace, and interaction between our two fraternal peoples, because this friendship should not only be preserved but also significantly multiplied and expanded into some large joint projects, like this kurgan, and other possible youth interactions. We have gathered to exchange practices, experience, and together make our youth better and our friendship stronger," said Anna Shunyaeva, head of the Pskov regional branch of the "Search Movement of Russia," head of the Pskov regional military-patriotic search public organization "Panther's Trail."

Anna Shunyaeva

The girl noted that assembling a spill-map of Belarus was a useful experience for her. "For us, as citizens of Russia, this is a very interesting stage," she shared. "We have to assemble the map entirely from small subjects, districts, to form your large republic. This is a very interesting practice, at least for learning the geography of our friendly country, Belarus. And also – representing the camp, a wall newspaper, communication during an open dialogue on equal terms, where young people can ask both government representatives and public organizations pressing questions for youth development, setting new goals, and understanding how to implement them."

The Vitebsk Regional Committee of BRSM noted that the camp is designed to show that young people today strive for peace, for the future, for creation. "We have our own anthem, which we presented at the opening of the camp. New districts have joined: Orsha, Senno, and Gorodok have arrived," explained the project organizers. According to them, Russia has also decided to organize a camp similar to the Belarusian one. The only difference is in the age of the participants: if on the Belarusian side it was working young people, then on the Russian side, near Sebezh – teenagers aged 14-18. Today, both camps met at the Kurgan Druzhby (Friendship Mound).-0-

https://www.belta.by/regions/view/bolee-300-chelovek-sobral-molodezhnyj-belorussko-rossijskij-lager-kurgan-v-verhnedvinskom-rajone-574959-2023/