“To arrange rest for our children”: the North Korean “Artek” looms before Russian children

We found out whether we should be afraid of North Korean pioneer camps by talking to those who vacationed there back in Soviet times, and to those who visited there relatively recently, shortly before the pandemic.

The head of Primorye explained: the tourist flow to the DPRK, if it is established, will go through its region, which will saturate the local infrastructure – hotels, catering and other tourism industry facilities, because planes from the Russian Federation to the DPRK fly only from the capital of the Primorsky Territory, Vladivostok. And Oleg Kozhemyako personally examined the tourism infrastructure of North Korea and, in his words, “rated it a solid four.” Only a few Russians had a chance to test his words through personal experience: few of their compatriots made tourist trips to the DPRK. But there were many more Russians who once vacationed in Sondowon (North Korean international pioneer camp, an analogue of the domestic Artek) than it seemed when reading that the DPRK is “the most closed country in the world.” Moreover, not only former Soviet pioneers, now mothers and fathers themselves, and even grandparents, visited there, but also current Russian schoolchildren who were never members of the pioneers. Those who took advantage of the trip to Sondowon are united only by geography – these are current and grown-up children of the Far East, Primorye, eastern Siberia and the ex-Soviet Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

“The Sondovon camp opened in the early 60s of the last century, after a memorable festival of youth and students in Moscow in 1958,” explains Kanat, coordinator of international children’s recreation groups from Kazakhstan. – After the pandemic, it was reconstructed and modernized. Since its founding, it has belonged to the Central Committee of the KSSM (Kimirsenov Socialist Youth Union – author), this is an analogue of the Soviet Komsomol, which was then in charge of our common Soviet “Artek”. The system there is the same: in July there is a two-week international shift. Foreign children are not only allowed into Seongdowon, they are attracted. In the DPRK education system there are special people whose job is to attract children from all over the world to international studies, and they have agents who work on a fee. Like recruiters or barkers – like me, for example. But I simply offer parents vouchers, describe the pros, and warn about the cons. Attracted – good, extra tenge, not attracted – no big deal. But the North Korean person responsible for attracting, if he attracted few countries, will receive a reprimand, or even a fine. But if there is a lot – a bonus.

– Should we attract “friendly pioneers”?

– On the contrary, the more children from “enemy” countries you attract, the greater the bonus. By the way, in the DPRK they never express themselves like that, at least in front of children. They simply say that they are from “a country with a different way of life and thoughts” – that’s all. No inciting hatred. Children from the USA, Canada and the EU are especially valued.

-Aren’t Americans and Europeans afraid to send their children to North Korea? Or are they only sending African Americans, who are no strangers to hardship?

– Canadian and American coordinators, like me, are agents for attracting children to the camp, working with Sondovon. The USA is the most active of all. By the way, I never saw African Americans there, I don’t know why. But white Americans, Canadians and Europeans are always recruited into the corps. They live in a separate building.

– They are boycotting them, or what?

– What do you mean, on the contrary, they bow to them, just like they bow to the monuments of their leaders. But this is not about politics, but about Eastern hospitality, it does not depend on the political system. And separately, so that the children themselves “with a different way of life” would be more comfortable. North Korean pioneers, for example, even go to dances in the evening in uniform with ties. And young American women in skirts up to the navel. They also carry ginseng (local alcohol – alcohol tincture of ginseng – author) and smoking gadgets. They don’t even take away the prohibition from Western children, for the sake of hospitality. As long as the North Korean pioneers are not shown a bad example, all this is strictly forbidden to them.

– How do Russian children get there? Is someone recruiting them too?

– No, as far as I know, Russian children are simply encouraged with trips to Sondowon. Bonuses are given through schools or parents’ businesses. The camp is international class, and the entire trip for a two-week shift, including airfare, costs both Russian and our Kazakh parents a maximum of $300. And for Americans, by the way, it is many times more expensive.

– Who exactly encourages and rewards?

– Both you and we have preserved Komsomol organizations, and they are in contact with the KSSM. But you’d better ask your own people.

Risalat, who will celebrate her half-century anniversary next year, lives in the city of Turkmenabat in the Lebap velayat of Turkmenistan, and 40 years ago it was called the city of Chardzhou in the Turkmen SSR, where all schoolchildren participated in the cotton harvest in the fall. The most hardworking were rewarded with free trips to the pioneer camp, and Risalat at the age of 12 distinguished herself so much that she was rewarded with a trip to the North Korean “Artek”. The first thing she remembers: in comparison with Chardzhou of the early 80s, the buildings of Sondowon made of glass and concrete on the very shore of the Sea of ​​​​Japan seemed to her chic, downright “cosmic”. And the pioneer from Soviet Turkmenistan in the DPRK did not notice any “lack of freedom” at that time either.

– I remember that the pioneer there was called the Children’s Union. Outwardly, they were very similar to us, only they even slept in red ties, often bowed and shouted “hansan chunbi.”

– What is this?!

– Something seems to be always ready, like our pioneers. They bowed their heads at the sight of all the elders, this is just an Eastern tradition, we also have one. But they still had to bow to every portrait and monument of the leader, and in the camp they were at every turn. At the same time, each time they muttered something under their breath. I once asked a North Korean girl what she was whispering. And she says that she thanks Comrade Kim for her happy childhood.

– And they say that local children are prohibited from communicating with foreigners!

– The international shift was designed for children from different countries to communicate. But the Korean children themselves were shy. And they were also afraid, because they were given so many instructions on communicating with foreign peers, otherwise, they say, you will let your family down for three generations to come. Their ideological flaws stain their entire family name for three generations to come, a North Korean friend told me this then. But they communicated with me, some even initially accepted me as one of their own, until it turned out that I didn’t know Korean.

– How did you communicate?

– We had a third girlfriend, a Soviet Korean. She knew both Korean and Russian, thanks to her the adult translator did not interfere with our play. And these translators followed all the other foreign children. Each ward of 5-6 people has its own translator, made up of North Korean teachers. At the line they said that we have children from all countries of the world gathered here except South Korea, because this is not a country. But I only remember a group from the GDR and from Czechoslovakia, it seems. But I didn’t communicate with them; Korean women turned out to be closer to me. I remember that the pioneers were called “kings of North Korea.” And North Koreans really love children very much, this is very noticeable, just like here in Turkmenistan. At the sight of a mother and baby, not a single passer-by will remain indifferent: they will offer help, give up space, and if you don’t need anything, they will simply smile and say a kind word.

Now 19-year-old Asiya from Primorye visited Sondovon relatively recently – 5 years ago. But she has much fewer memories than the Turkmen pioneer from her trip almost 40 years ago.

“I won the competition of the DPRK Consulate General, which was held at the enterprise where my parents work,” explains Asia. “But I had no idea that this was even a competition.” My parents asked me to write an essay about the pioneers, what they were like, and where they still exist. They said that this was for their internal newspaper, and I would have a publication; I dreamed of a journalism department then. I wrote it and tried. And bang – and a ticket to the country of Juche! And you won’t refuse, it’s a gift, a reward.

– Judging by the tone, you didn’t like it very much?

– Well, why, it’s funny. But at that age, of course, I wanted more to go to my native seaside camp, where all my friends have been since childhood. But these people can’t do anything; adults are always watching you. Discotheques are poor, in the corridors. You can’t go to the store alone, in case you buy the wrong thing. Pioneers have shoulder straps and stripes, like military ones. If on the left shoulder there is an shoulder strap with one stripe and one star, then the pioneer is no longer an ordinary one, but has shown loyalty to the ideas of Juche. Then two stars, three. Stars are given for merit, like promotion in rank in the army. In general, North Koreans are friendly, at least in the camp. They fed us to our heart’s content from the buffet, and not like in our DOLs (children’s health camp – author) in portions with distribution from the window. The water park, zoo, circus and attractions are at their level; North Korean adults also love all this no less than children. But I wouldn’t go there a second time. By the way, the Juche people apparently understand this and do not reward anyone with vouchers to their camp again. And no one buys it a second time. North Korea is a one-time country. Those who have been to normal foreign countries have nothing to surprise them: the nature and climate are like ours in Primorye, there are children’s entertainment, there are many prohibitions, and the prices are not low. Well, except that the Juche people live alone in this world in the early 1900s: now they are in the 109th year from the birth, but not of Christ, but of Kimirsenov (chronology in the DPRK is based on the birthday of its founder Kim Il Sung, who was born in 1912 year – author).