Teens Eagerly Join Putin Youth

Moscow Times | March 4 2005

FLASHBACK: 'Putin Youth' Set Up To Watch Subversives

BALASHIKHA, Moscow Region -- To the strains of the national anthem, a group of students at Balashikha's School No. 1 joined the ranks of United Russia's youth group Thursday with promises of new friends, better careers and summer work.

The 18 smartly dressed students swore their allegiance to Young Unity -- whose sole ideology, like United Russia, is to support President Vladimir Putin -- in a school assembly hall decorated with national flags and United Russia banners.

"I swear to respect the rules of Young Unity," the 10th and 11th grade students solemnly repeated after the local Youth Unity leader. "I swear to respect the discipline of Young Unity. I swear to take part in the activities of Young Unity."

Young Unity is one of three pro-Putin youth groups trying to fill a gap left by the collapse of Soviet youth organizations like the Pioneers and Komsomol. Challenging them are organizations such as the liberal Young Yabloko and Moving Without Putin.

Thursday's ceremony in Balashikha, a town 5 kilometers east of Moscow, started with a rock song. "We, the new generation of the country, are the new Russia, oh yeah!" blared the song over a loudspeaker.

Local Young Unity leader Yevgeny Barishevsky stood up at the front of the room and asked the students to stand near him to better hear what he had to say.

"We should stop counting on adults only. It is about time to show what we can do. ... This is what our president wants," Barishevsky said.

He said Young Unity expected great things from its new members. For a start, he said, they would plant trees, clean streets and help repair schools in their town during the summer vacation. Students will receive 2,000 to 4,000 rubles for their work, he said.

Komsomol members undertook similar activities during the summer months.

Barishevsky told the students that Young Unity will give them an opportunity to develop their careers, meet "new friends all over Russia," and take part in sporting competitions. The organization, he said, had 60,000 members nationwide and about 70 members in Balashikha.

Andrei Anikin, an assistant to United Russia Duma Deputy Dmitry Sablin, told the students that their decision to join Young Unity was "an important step" in their lives. "You will help your city and your country and, who knows, one day you might become Duma deputies or Federation Council senators," he told the applauding students.

Smiling students were given blue T-shirts with United Russia's bear symbol and a book about Balashikha's history.

Vasily Lobintsev, 17, said afterward that he joined to get a good job when he graduates. "I was told that I can improve my career, and this is why I'm joining the youth organization," he said. "I'm an assistant disk jockey, and I hope to become a real disk jockey one day."

Olga Grishina, 17, said she wanted to make friends. "I know that our president is a good man and does a lot for our country, but this is not why I'm joining Young Unity," she said. "I just want to meet new and interesting people."

Grishina said she was not interested in politics and had heard of United Russia for the first time only several weeks ago when a teacher asked whether she wanted to join Young Unity.

The school's director, Larisa Lebed, who is a member of United Russia, said she was proud to bring Young Unity to her school. "We had youth organizations like the Pioneers and Komsomol in the Soviet Union. They disappeared after the fall of the Soviet Union, and young people miss them," she said.

"United Russia gives them the opportunity to restore this old tradition," she said, adding, "It is better for them to join United Russia than to hang out on the streets and drink or use drugs."

Barishevsky agreed. "People were guided in their lives. Children would join the Pioneers, and upper-grade students would join Komsomol. They were shown where to go," he said.

He said Young Unity will organize a local rally titled "Putin and United Russia, five years together" on March 13 to commemorate Putin's fifth year in office.

Asked whether there was any rivalry between Young Unity and the other pro-Putin youth organizations, Moving Together and newly formed Nashi, or Us, he shook his head. "Every one has its own field," he said.