A bill on Bolshaya Peremena, a new youth organisation, was introduced in the Russian State Duma by a group of MPs. The name of the organisation can be translated to English both as "The Big Change" or "The Big School Break", just like the 1972 Soviet movie.
The explanatory note says that its goals will be "promotion of state policy for the children and the youth", as well as upbringing a mindset "based on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, the traditions of the peoples of the Russian Federation, the achievements of Russian and world culture."
“The activity of the Movement is based upon the principles of voluntary participation, equality of rights of the Movement participants and consideration of their individual traits, openness, continuity and systematic activity of the Movement, as well as its succession in relation to the Movement participants of different ages,” the bill says.
Participation is expected to be optional, the minimum age for a child being six years. Certain “mentors” will guide the children’s “upbringing and leisure activities.”
The bill also allows certain non-profit organisations to partake in the movement, given that their activities are in line with the values of the Movement.
It became known two days ago that Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, the Kremlin and the Ministry of Education planned to establish a new national youth movement. One of the sources stated that Russian lawmakers would propose a corresponding bill on 19 May, which used to be the Young Pioneers Day in the USSR. The pioneer movement was a mass youth organisation in the Soviet Union compulsory for all children and adolescents.
