Do you know the meaning of the word "pioneer"? How did it come about? Who is that called? We will answer these and other questions in the article. Pioneers are called pioneers, initiators. And so they called a military post or an ordinary in the engineering forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Empire in the XVIII-XIX centuries and some modern countries (for example, Germany).
Speaking the word "pioneer", a person can mean either a sapper of the Armed Forces of the German states, or a soldier engaged in the construction of earthworks, building bridges, digging ditches, leveling roads and so on. And so they call the participants in the pioneer movement - communist children's groups in the USSR and other socialist states created according to the standards of scouting.
Value
According to Efremova, a pioneer is one who first made his way into a new, unexplored area or country and began to develop it. This is the name of the one who laid the foundation for something new in the field of culture, science or another field of activity. Efremova also believes that the pioneers are both members of the communist children’s group and soldiers of engineer units of engineering troops. Ozhegov and Ushakov represent the same meaning of the word. And in Dahl’s dictionary, it’s stated that equestrian pioneers also existed before.
Origin
So what does pioneer mean? This word the Russian-speaking population borrowed from the French language at the beginning of the XVIII century and began to use it in the meaning of "infantry warrior." Over time, this interpretation has gone down in history, and the word "pioneer" began to be called the discoverers - people who are paving new ways.
When the October Revolution of 1917 ended, pioneer children's groups began to be created in Russia, the participants of which wished to be the first in everything. Their social activity wanted to pave the way to the radiant tomorrow.
First squads
Pioneers ... Who are they? The name day of the All-Russian Pioneer is considered May 19, 1922. It was on this day at the 2nd All-Russian Congress of the Komsomol that it was decided to create pioneer detachments throughout the country. The famous organization since 1924 bears the name of V.I. Lenin. In 1925, the newspaper Pionerskaya Pravda, which was often affectionately called the Pioneer, began to be published in the state.
The first detachments of red-necked men acted in the Komsomol formations in factories, in institutions, participated in subbotniks, helped to eradicate illiteracy, and fight against child homelessness. Beginning in the 1920s these organizations began to be created in educational institutions. Each school had a pioneer squad, and a class in the classroom. Almost every child 9-10 years old could become a pioneer. At the initiation ceremony, the children took an oath, pledged to "live, fight and study, as the great Lenin bequeathed, as the Communist Party teaches."
A pioneer is a symbol of the Soviet era. He wore a red tie (as a sign of a revolutionary red banner), a badge with the motto "Always ready!" and images of the flame of the fire, the profile of Lenin and the five-pointed star. Defense-military work occupied a large place in the activities of red-necked children: medical attendants, young shooters, signalmen were founded, army and sports games were held.
Traffic
Do you know that a pioneer is an example for everyone? During World War II, the Timurov mass movement appeared in the Soviet Union, named after the hero of the novel Timur and his team, written by A. P. Gaidar. Pioneers, like the characters of the work, helped the disabled, families of war veterans, and the elderly. In the post-war period, the Timurites patronized the old Bolsheviks, collected waste paper and scrap metal in the winter, healing herbs in the summer, helped war veterans, and worked on the harvest.
The country had a system of Palaces (houses) of pioneers with various types of circles (technical, sports, art) and pioneer camps, where the children rested in the summer. The obligatory attributes of the life of the last institutions were bonfires and songs, evening and morning rulers (building all the squads), raising and lowering the flag, collections of red-necked (collections devoted to various patriotic topics). The best were considered the pioneer camps "Eaglet" and "Artek", which were located on the Black Sea. The pioneering age ended at the age of 14, and many children joined the Komsomol.
Disappearance
So, we have already found out that the pioneer is a reliable companion. Unfortunately, after the collapse of the USSR, an amazing organization almost completed its work. In today's Russia there are pioneer groups, but they are few in number and not particularly popular among children. In the 1990s some social groups tried to replace the disappeared movement with the organization of scouts who operated in pre-revolutionary Russia, but this also did not bring any results.
Journalism
Today, many are asking what a pioneer is. The definition of this word is forgotten by many. Nevertheless, many songs and books were written about the red-necked USSR, films were made, most of which have no artistic value. It should be noted that the audience really liked the comedy about the pioneer camp “Welcome, or No Entrance Alien!”.
In the current speech, especially of older people, one can sometimes hear the phrase "as a pioneer (pioneer)," that is, "to do something in a disciplined, obedient way." And the expression "Always ready!" means consent and willingness to do something. In Soviet journalism, the red-necked were called young Leninists (adherents of V.I. Lenin).
Tie
Through a children's formation, new cadres were forged for the Soviet country. Parents forbade some children to become pioneers, but they all the same joined the organization. They had to hide ties from moms and dads. In the USSR, almost all children were pioneers. First, the kid entered school, and he was accepted in October, after which he proudly wore an asterisk on his chest with a portrait of a curly-haired fair-haired boy.
When the child was 9 years old, his candidacy was approved at the gathering of the detachment, and then initiated into pioneers. And, finally, at the end of his studies, as the “final stage in the formation of the student’s personality,” he was awarded the Komsomol badge.
Each pioneer was required to wear a pioneer tie. It could be made of any fabric, but it had to be red. Schoolchildren knew how to tie it with a special knot. If a child came to school with a bruised, hastily tied tie or no tie at all, this was considered a shame. A pioneer always had to be neat, tidy and carry the symbols of his organization with honor.
What do the three ends of a tie mean? They point to the indestructible cohesion of three generations: communists, pioneers and Komsomol members. In some countries, the movement in red scarves exists without any particular changes (Moldova, Venezuela, North Korea, China, Cuba, Vietnam).
Heroes
Soviet pioneers who accomplished feats during the years of the formation of Soviet power, the Second World War, are called heroes.
Their images were actively used in the USSR as examples of high morality. In 1954, an official list of pioneer heroes was created, and the Book of Honor of the V.I. Lenin All-Union Pioneer was compiled, to which books of honor of the local red-mantle formations were added.
War time
What are the famous pioneers-heroes of the Great Patriotic War? In the early days of the battle for the Brest Fortress, 14-year-old Klypa Petya, a pupil of a musical platoon, distinguished himself. Many pioneers fought with the Nazis in partisan detachments, where they were scouts and saboteurs, and also carried out underground activities.
Of the young partisans, Dubinin Volodya, Kazei Marat, Golikov Lenya, Zhora Antonenko, Kotik Valya are very famous. All of them died in battle, except for Dubinin Volodya, who exploded in a mine. Each of them, except for the over-age Golikov Leni, was 13-14 years old at the time of his death.
Very often, schoolchildren fought as part of army units (the so-called “daughters and sons of regiments” - the story of Valentin Kataev “The Son of the Regiment” is known).
Pioneers of World War II showed their best qualities in battles. So, the 15-year-old Chekmak Vilor at the cost of his own life saved the partisan detachment of Sevastopol. The boy had a sick heart, he was young, but in 1941, in August, he went into the woods with the partisans. He was on patrol on November 10, so he was the first to see the approaching punitive squad. Vilor rocket launcher warned the partisans about the threat and one took the battle with the Nazis. When he ran out of ammunition, he waited for the enemies to come closer to him, and blew himself up with the Nazis with a grenade. Vilor was buried in the cemetery of WWII veterans in the village of Dergachi, near Sevastopol.
What else did the great pioneers do? They served as youngs on warships, worked in factories in the Soviet rear, replacing adults who went to the front, took part in civil defense.
At the Obol station (Vitebsk region), the Komsomol underground organization Young Avengers was created. A pioneer Zina Portnova acted in it, joining the Komsomol in the underground, executed by the Nazis and awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously.
For military merits, tens of thousands of young soldiers were awarded:
- The Orders of the Red Banner were awarded - Julius Kantemirov, Dubinin Volodya, Andrey Makarihin, Kostya Kravchuk, Kamanin Arkady ;
- The Order of Lenin - Vitya Korobkov, Shumov Tolya, Treasurers Volodya, Lenya Golikov, Chekalin Alexander ;
- The Order of the Red Star - Samorukha Volodya, Efremov Shura, Andrianov Vanya, Ankinovich Lenya, Kovalenko Vitya, Kamanin Arkady (twice);
- Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree - Volkov Valery, Klypa Petya, Kovalev Sasha.
Hundreds of pioneers were awarded the Medal "Partisan of the Second World War", over 15,000 - the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", over 20,000 medals "For the Defense of Moscow".
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to five pioneers: Golikov Lenya, Kotik Valya, Kazey Marat, Portnova Zina, Chekalin Alexander. Many young combatants died on the battlefield or were executed by the Germans. Many names of children were listed in the Book of Honor of the All-Union Pioneer named after V. I. Lenin and elevated to the rank of “pioneer heroes”.