Young German kids attend recreational facility in Crimea, a region controlled by Russia
During the Soviet era, Artek, a holiday camp situated on the Crimean Peninsula, catered to the youth of the Communist Party's upper echelon. The Kremlin continues to utilize this facility for the political instruction of young individuals today. This summer, it's claimed that a group of German kids spent three weeks there.
German children allegedly spent their summer holidays at a Russian holiday camp on the Crimean Peninsula, which is presently under Russian control. According to reports from various news sources, including "t-online.de", a group of German children and young people spent three weeks at the Artek holiday center, which the Kremlin renovated at a cost of hundreds of millions of euros as the flagship project for the patriotic development of youth.
As per the report, over 3,000 children and young people from 60 countries participated in the summer camp. This is also corroborated by a press release issued by Artek in August. The German group was apparently invited to the holiday camp as winners of a competition. Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Magasowa brought attention to a video circulating on the Russian network VK in August. In the clip, two girls and a boy from Germany express their gratitude to the Russian House in Strasbourg and a co-organizer in Berlin by name. The verification team of RTL/ntv was able to identify the boy in the video in further recordings released by the holiday center itself.
Artek has its origins in the Soviet era and was initially reserved for the youth of the Communist Party's elite. Today, its partners include the United Russia party of Russian President Vladimir Putin, several government agencies, and the state corporation Rosatom. Because children from Ukraine were also brought to the camp for re-education, Artek is on Western sanctions lists.
Meeting with Russian Soldiers
Photos and videos of the German children were also shared by the Russian broadcaster RT and participating individuals on the internet. In one picture, the German group can be seen hoisting the German flag during their stay in Crimea. Only "Nikita from Germany" is identified in the text.
At least one child from Germany is reported to have attended a roundtable in the Livadia Palace of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. During the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed the young visitors. The holiday camp's activities also covered Moscow's conflict with Ukraine. Russian soldiers were also present, one of whom is said to have participated in the capture of Bachmut with the Wagner soldier group.
The owner of the travel agency Rus-Krim-Tour informed a Russian radio station that the children traveled for up to four days to reach Crimea. "But everyone was pleased with their trip to Crimea." They "came from families that were not influenced by Western propaganda." According to "t-online.de", no other visits by German children to Artek are known from recent history. In 2017, RT reported that ten children from Berlin and Saxony traveled with a teacher.
The Russian House in Berlin and the Russian Embassy in Berlin did not respond to a request for comment. Artek itself did not respond to "t-online.de's" request for a statement.
The German group's visit to Artek was reportedly sponsored by Artek's partners, which include the United Russia party under Russian President Vladimir Putin. The President of the European Parliament has not made any public statements regarding this issue.
