Orlyonok

It is located in the Southern Federal District of Russia, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, Krasnodar Krai, 45 kilometers north-west from Tuapse.

Orlyonok received the Order of the Badge of Honour from the Komsomol (abbreviation of Communist Union of Youth) organization, a decoration awarded for outstanding social and civil accomplishments.

In 1962 Orlyonok welcomed 50 representatives of the then-experimental Communard Movement, including kids from the famous Leningrad Frunze Community organization (now dismissed) led by Igor Ivanov.

By then Orlyonok had grown to an area of 3 square kilometers, with 60 buildings, including the dormitories, the "Young Pioneer Palace" (with a winter swimming pool filled with sea water, and a cinema), secondary school, medical building, Museum of Aircraft and Cosmonautics, astronomical observatory, sports stadium, playgrounds and a winter sports hall.

A relay torch was lit with the Olympic flame next to the Memorial Stone, from where it was carried throughout Orlyonok by 15 torchbearers covering a distance of approximately 3 kilometers.

[2] Orlyonok is really seven independent camps, Solnechnyi, Zvyozdnyi, Stremitel'nyi, Komsomolskiy, Shtormovoy, Dozornyi, Olimpiyskiy, located on the combined territory of more than 244 hectares.

The seaside boardwalk that runs from the Stormovoy camp to the Solnechnyi camp is part of what is considered the central part of Orlyonok that includes Memorial Plaza with the statue of Orlyonok, "Palace of Culture and Sport" (Russian: ДКС, Дом Культуры и Спорта) that is connected to the library called "Pharmacy for the Soul" and is adjacent to the stadium "Youth".

For example, self-help is the rule of the day: from simple things like making one's bed in the morning and self-care, to collectively serving a rotating duty around the camp and in the dining rooms.

[1] Though having a lot in common with the world-wide Scouts youth, the Eaglets' culture has a few notable points distinguishing them, one of them – not being separated into groups based on gender.

Eaglets, too, enjoy camping and hiking, they place great emphasis on being self-reliant, responsible and trustworthy when asked for help.

It is also stressed that merely accumulating a history of achievements is secondary to the goal of self-development and growth, with everyone's input helping to grow all together as a team.

Orlyonok entrance
Orlyonok Memorial Stone