School of collectivism

“We comes from God, I from the Devil.” ― Yevgeny Zamyatin, We

Soviet people received their first experience of living together already in kindergarten, where strong-willed and omnipotent educators encouraged children to find their role in a group of peers. Later on those skills were useful in young pioneer camps, communal apartments, in the army barracks, and for many in penal colonies.

New Year party at a kindergarten, 1950

Morning performance at a kindergartenPhoto by Dilip Mehta, 1980

Pioneer (Ignalina). Photo by Antanas Sutkus, 1964

"Young pioneer is loyal to the Motherland, the party, communism" postcard, 1969

Young pioneer at Artek Summer camp, 1939

"Militiaman" painting by Konstantin Vyalov, 1923

School children at the Lenin museum, Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, 1954

In the nursery of the Kupavinsky Fine Cloth Factory. Photo by Valentin Khukhlaev, 1956

Young pioneers in defense drill. Photo by Viktor Bulla, Leningrad, 1937

Parents came to visit their children at Zenkovo young pioneer camp. Photo by Vladimir Sokolaev, 1985