Waiting for guests

The “Young Metro Builder” health camp has almost completed its reconstruction and is preparing to open. Very soon, like 75 years ago, the camp will be filled with life, the familiar children’s voices will begin to sound.

Guests are greeted by an updated camp sign

The pioneer camp in Balabanovo opened on June 6, 1945 immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was built in just a year in the Kaluga region on the banks of the Istya River. The first shift received 650 children of metro construction workers. By May 1946, the camp had significantly expanded its infrastructure. A first-aid post and a dining room, several dachas, cottages, a bakery, and separate rooms for group work appeared.

The main goal of the camp was to provide children with the opportunity to spend school holidays in comfortable conditions with health benefits, with varied and interesting leisure time.

Every year the number of children wishing to spend their holidays at the camp increased. In 1955, it exceeded well over a thousand per shift. The leadership created all the conditions for the comprehensive development of the child, his creative expression, for civil patriotic and moral education, and the formation of an active life position. In 1960, two-week rest houses were organized on the territory of the camp. From that moment on, family races appeared between health sessions for children.

After a quarter of a century of operation, in 1970 the camp underwent a general reconstruction. A new modern dining room appeared, and a club for events, a library and a gym were organized in the old one. In addition, wooden cottages were replaced with brick buildings. This made it possible to organize additional shifts for children during the winter holidays. In 1985, the camp was replenished with a swimming pool, as well as football and basketball fields, and running tracks. Later, in 1998, a sports and recreation complex appeared here.

Mosmetrostroy has always sent advanced, reliable personnel to work with children. Many events, excursions, hikes and competitions were held for the children. Over the years, our own traditions have developed. To this day, campers organize meetings to remember the old days at the camp.

Over time, the camp buildings became dilapidated, worn out, and fell into disrepair. In 2015, the management of Mosmetrostroy decided to breathe new life into the children's health camp. To date, buildings for the accommodation of children coming for shifts and family visits, a canteen have been renovated, the sports and recreation complex and utility buildings have been updated. The surrounding area was landscaped, lawns and flower beds appeared. However, some things remained unchanged. For example, linden trees planted along Pushkin Alley by the first camp students. Or wooden openwork gazebos in which classes were held for children.

“At the moment, the necessary documentation for opening the camp is being collected, anti-tick treatment has been carried out, fire extinguishing equipment has been purchased, a fire alarm system has been installed to alert people in case of fire,” said Leonid Podvoisky, director of “Young Metro Builder”. – The capacity of the camp is designed for 450 children, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will be guided by the decision of Rospotrebnadzor.

The camp management plans to build an indoor swimming pool and a club. The foundation of the club has already been poured and the sketch of the building has been approved.

The dormitory buildings are fully prepared to comfortably accommodate about 450 young metro construction workers

BTW

The “Young Metro Builder” contributed to the construction of an infectious diseases hospital in the Voronovskoye settlement in New Moscow. In the shortest possible time, a small camp team (15 people in total) organized accommodation for more than a thousand workers involved in the construction of the medical center. The builders lived from March 24 to April 30.

From the first day, hot meals were organized, including two breakfasts, two dinners for several shifts, the delivery of a hot lunch to the construction site, overnight dry rations, transport services, round-the-clock medical care, as well as an agreement with Medical Unit No. 8 in Obninsk to provide ambulances to the Young Metro Construction Center in case of need.

“High-quality and fast organization of household services for employees of organizations involved in the construction of the hospital allowed workers to save time for rest and sleep, which further contributed to labor productivity,” recalls Leonid Podvoisky. – All this became a good exam to test the performance of the team and the camp as a whole, which was passed with flying colors.

INTERESTING

“Young Metro Builder” is located on 34 hectares and includes nine residential buildings, a medical unit, a canteen and a modern gym. The camp received its name only in 1970. Before that, he bore the name “Berezki”. The initiator of the renaming and reconstruction of the camp in those years was the deputy head of Metrostroy, Hero of Socialist Labor, Tatyana Fedorova.