While each camp has its own variations and different traditions, these are some of the ones we encountered during our summers at Russian camps.
Day of Love
At breakfast campers and staff are given half of a paper heart. The goal is them to search the camp to find the match for your heart. There are only 8 matches in the camp, and then those eight “couples” compete in contests in the afternoon and each camper group creates a skit about the joy of love.
Yarmarka
The Yarmarka is a carnival to celebrate the ending of camp. There are usually stations that children can walk around and enjoy at their own pace. It has a “county fair” type feel. The children can earn “camp money” by cleaning up areas of camp, winning an arm wrestling contest, tossing pine cones in a bucket, hitting an American baseball, dropping a coin in a bucket, balancing a stick on their head and walking. They can then spend their money on jam and bread, potatoes and pickle sandwiches, jam and blinies (thin crepe-like pancakes) or chocolate.
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Secret Angels
Some camps include everyone in this tradition, other camps simply have staff participate. Names are drawn, and you want to think of fun ways to surprise your person by being a secret angel to them. You might draw a picture, give them a small present, make a sign for their door, etc. The goal is to remain anonymous until the end of the game. This game builds camaraderie among staff members.
Discoteka
At least every other night, if not more often, the entire camp will have a dance. Russian camp values this tradition enough to hire full-time D.J.s to orchestrate the entire event. Everyone dances with everyone and the campers and staff just enjoy the music and energy of the dance. In many camps the techno beat literally is the heart-beat of the camp.
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Dance Marathon
It is tradition in many camps to have each camper group learn a series of dances during the session and then perform them at the end of the camp session in a “dance-off” fashion. The dances range from the most modern to traditional folk songs to honor the history of the republic.
Camper Concert
Each session will have a night where campers create skits to surprise their counselors with some talent on stage that the entire camper group will participate.
Counselor Concert
Each session will have a night where counselor will surprise their campers with some talent on stage that will be performed for the entire camp.
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Camp Leaders
Dating back to the Soviet times where the camps were a way to indoctrinate and socialize the children to the soviet mindset, campers could rise through the ranks to serve as a camp leader having a say in the design and rules of camp. Today it is more democratic and recognition of leadership and citizenship.
Banya
If you are lucky, you will be treated to a truly Russian experience, the Banya. It is the ultimate sign of hospitality in Russian life, as your hosts literally bare themselves to host you. While as Americans, we are embarrassed by nudity, in Russian life it is the true sign of equality and respect. Most camps have a banya (moist sauna) on the property that the children use for deep cleaning once a week. At camp Lesnya Skazka, there is a dry sauna and swimming pool, where staff is sometimes invited in bathing suits to relax and swim.
When you go to that sauna with your campers, it is normal for staff to wear a bathing suit. If you are invited to go with your camp director, it is normal to be nude. The banya experience is always single sex, and you can leave on your underwear or bathing suit, but know you risk offending your camp director.
The banya experience normally starts with a glass of juice or water, and then you are given a sheet to wrap up in to go into the moist sauna. It is very hot and steamy and as soon as you begin to sweat heavily, you will go to the cool swimming pool to cool your body and close your pores (in winter they go out into the snow!). You will then be invited to eat and drink in the resting room. Once you are rested, you go back into the sauna, and if you are lucky, they have birch branches soaking in water to create a sweet smelling steam and they will offer to “beat” you with the “switches”. It does not hurt, and is a form of massage. It is viewed as a very humbling and true gift to provide the experience to someone else. It sounds strange to most Americans, but if you are willing to open yourself up to this cultural experience, it will be one you will never forget and rarely, if ever, have a chance to repeat.
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