German Youngsters Explore Recreational Haven in Crimea's Russian Setting
According to sources, a group of German children and young adults spent three weeks at the Artek vacation retreat situated on the Crimean Peninsula, currently under Russian control. This summer, the center, which underwent extensive renovations by the Kremlin for hundreds of millions of euros as a beacon for patriotic education, welcomed over 3,000 children and adolescents from 60 diverse nations, as per a press release issued by Artek in August.
Reports surfaced about the German group being extended an invitation as winners of a competition. Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Magasowa drew attention to a video circulating on the Russian social media platform VK, featuring two German girls and a boy thanking the Russian House in Strasbourg and a cooperating entity in Berlin for their invitation. The identification team at RTL/ntv managed to recognize the boy in the video from further footage published by Artek itself.
Artek's origins trace back to the Soviet period, with the center initially intended for the offspring of party elites. Its current partners include United Russia, the political party led by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, various government agencies, as well as the state corporation Rosatom. Due to the re-education of Ukrainian children, Artek is included on Western sanctions lists.
Interaction with Russian Soldiers
Russian state-owned media outlet RT and camp participants also shared photos and videos of the German children. In one image, the German group is depicted waving the German flag during their stay in Crimea. While the young individuals' full names were not disclosed, a caption mentioned "Nikita from Germany."
At least one German child is said to have participated in a roundtable discussion at the Livadia Palace, once belonging to Russian Tsar Nicholas II. During this meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov extended greetings to the young visitors. The camp's activities also included an emphasis on Moscow's conflict against Ukraine, with Russian soldiers participating as well. At least one soldier reportedly had involvement in the capture of Bachmut with the Wagner soldier group.
The owner of travel agency Rus-Krim-Tour told a Russian radio station that the children had traveled for up to four days to reach Crimea. "Yet, everyone was content with their trip to Crimea," they added, implying that the children came from families not swayed by Western propaganda. "t-online.de" reports no other recent visits by German children to Artek, with the exception of ten children from Berlin and Saxony in 2017, who traveled there with a teacher, as reported by the RT channel.
The Russian House in Berlin and the Russian Embassy in Berlin did not respond to requests for comment, while Artek itself did not reply to a request for a statement from "t-online.de."
The German children's interaction with Russian soldiers at Artek in the Crimea was highlighted, with at least one soldier reportedly involved in the capture of Bachmut with the Wagner group. Additionally, some of the German children attended a roundtable discussion at the Livadia Palace, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov extended greetings to the young visitors.
