Summer will remain in memory. And on TikTok
A bright end to the summer for the students of the military-patriotic club “Zubr”, operating in Kostyukovichi under the auspices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was a tent camp. For nine days, 80 schoolchildren lived in military tents at a school in the agricultural town of Belynkovichi, honed their skills in drill, fire, medical and physical training, and visited interesting places on excursions. Of course, first of all, the character of the guys was tempered by the field conditions.
Soldiers get up!
Given the profile of the camp, it is not surprising that the daily routine is strict. The morning begins at 07:30 with a loud “Company, rise!”.
First of all, the "bisons" go for a morning run. A few laps around the stadium, exercise - and until nine o’clock they have time to do their business: perform water procedures, make the beds, clean up the tents, clean the uniform. After breakfast, classes begin. Everything is the same as usual on Saturdays at the police station, only in the field and every day. Then lunch, quiet time, afternoon snack and active games in the air. For example, volleyball or football competitions. The winners are awarded sweet prizes, but in a friendly company everything is divided equally. Lights out at 22:00.
Elena Ridetskaya admits that she has been waiting for a trip to the campground all summer:
- I was in anticipation, like everyone else. We knew it would be a lot of fun here. They constantly texted and called each other. For example, when they were packing a bag, they bombarded each other with questions about who would take what. For many, this is the first such experience, but, contrary to the popular expression, the first pancake did not come out lumpy.
As in any barracks, there are shifts in the tent camp. Seventh-grader Ilya Merenkov from secondary school No. 4 Kostyukovich has a responsible mission - he is an orderly:
“My responsibilities include keeping order in the camp area, so that the guys don’t run around and make noise, so that things don’t get thrown around, and the tents are clean. As long as everyone behaved well, I didn’t make any comments to anyone. We keep a watch at the entrance for an hour, then a replacement comes. At this time we need to bring water to the camp and remove the garbage. And so on all day. This is not the first time I’ve been on duty, everything works out, it’s not difficult.
Nearby, eighth-grader Yana Staseva , who studies at the regional gymnasium, is training on the simulators. In the future, she sees herself as a dog handler or a juvenile affairs inspector, and she signed up for “Zubr” to get closer to her dream:
– I’ve been at the club for a year now. Most of all I love participating in city events, long trips, excursions, so I really like it at the camp. The girls and I spent a long time preparing for the camp. Light and warm clothes, hygiene items, insect repellent, blankets and, of course, the club uniform - I have four bags with me. I have never lived in such conditions before, I have never gone hiking, and I really like it here. We communicate well with each other, we are united. Every evening we sit by the fire, drink tea, sing songs. Sweet, soulful company. Summer romance.
Special Guests
The training program is also intense. Every day, police officers work with the club’s students, share the secrets of their professional skills, teach them safe behavior, explain the intricacies of entering departmental universities and, most importantly, motivate them by personal example to choose service in law enforcement agencies.
The correspondent's arrival coincided with the visit of military personnel from military unit 6713 from Mogilev, under whose guidance the schoolchildren honed their fire, medical, and tactical training: they learned to carry the wounded, apply a tourniquet, including using improvised means, shoot from different positions and weapons: from a machine gun, from a pistol , standing, lying down, sitting, somewhere I needed to go for a run.
According to the scenario, a wounded soldier lies on the battlefield. A comrade crawls up to him, bandages him and takes him out from under fire. "Bison" practiced skills in different variations. Worked in pairs, trios, changed roles. This is not the first time that guests in uniform come to visit the club’s students and see the children’s progress: “The children absorb everything like a sponge. The main thing is to deal with them on a systematic basis.” For military personnel, field training is a regular practice, but such experience is useful for everyone. Getting up and going out on a schedule, living conditions in a tent camp - a person is strengthened morally and physically, which is especially important for children of the so-called computer generation.
Elena Ridetskaya shares her emotions:
– In the first days of the camp, fighters from the Mogilev riot police came to us. They did fire and drill training with us, also spent time on physical training, and together honed new techniques. To be honest, the camp took a tough look at our endurance from the first day, half of the guys were just lying on the grass from fatigue. What to hide, over the summer we relaxed and even gained weight. The coming days at the camp will also be active. The police will continue to train us (each according to his own profile), and an excursion to the village of Gai near Mogilev to the memorial complex “Police Battalion under the Command of Konstantin Vladimirov” is also planned.
How about a room tour?
After classes, we enjoyed a walk around the camp to assess the living conditions. As a tour guide Lena:
– I’m already an expert in this matter. From time to time, the parents of some of the “Zubrov” come to us, and we conduct room tours for them. We were placed in military tents. They are very large, so we did not install them. But inside they settled in and did the zoning on their own. There are four tents in total, one of which is for women. Although there are many of us (13 girls from all platoons), each with our own character, we became friends on the very first day. We easily divide the territory, do not interfere with each other and do not quarrel. The night rain brought us together especially strongly. We laid out our sleeping bags on one side of the tent and slept huddled close to each other.
Life in the camp has its own characteristics. Makeshift washbasins made from plastic bottles are installed directly behind the tents. The shower is also outside, the water for which is heated in the sun during the day in a large container. Elena Ridetzkaya says:
– We wash clothes by hand in basins and dry them in the fresh air. Yes, not greenhouse conditions, but I take it absolutely calmly. Of course, on the first day it was very difficult to get used to, the situation changed dramatically. At home you stand in the shower for half an hour, here for five minutes and the next person is already in a hurry. But since I see myself in the service in the future, I must be prepared for different conditions, including not always comfortable ones.
Find us online
Initially, it was stipulated that mobile phones would be prohibited in the campground, but then this rule was canceled. And that's why. Children are so excited about what is happening that they want to capture every moment and then share videos and pictures on social networks. Nastya Astapenko took on the role of the main blogger. A ninth-grader high school student is keeping secrets:
– I want to join the ranks of the club, I have already submitted documents, but so far I am one of the few in the “civilian” camp. The most interesting thing is to take a closer look at the everyday life of the “Bison”, so to speak, to smell the gunpowder. It’s even more interesting to participate in all this, so I know exactly what to share with my subscribers. I shoot bright TikToks and share my impressions of what is happening with friends outside the camp. It's really fun, I'm filming everything. I like shooting most of all, I feel like I’m in a movie, especially since it turns out well. In a short time, I learned several self-defense techniques, marching, and how to move correctly in a group in a street battle. The feedback is also gratifying. They write to me: “Cool! Sorry, not with you. I’ll definitely go there next year too.”
Check for everyone
The head of the Zubr military-patriotic club, Alexander Stefanenko, admits that for adults, living in a camp is also a test of endurance:
Lena has a philosophical attitude towards deprivation of the benefits of civilization - such an experience will not be superfluous
“I’m entering my seventh decade, and my colleagues and I are responsible for 80 children who need close attention around the clock. But there is still gunpowder in the flasks, we can cope. The main task of the tent city is to prepare children for extreme conditions, and young men for service, so that they can see how the life of military personnel goes in the field. They also learn to live in a team and mutual assistance. Children endure conditions far from urban areas. I will say more: they like it here. You will gain vivid impressions. At a minimum, they will not have difficulties with writing the essay “How I spent the summer”.
Five minutes to the cadet
The experience gained at the camp is priceless, Lena Ridetzkaya is sure:
“There are only a few days left before I leave for Borisov to the cadet school. I was once again convinced of how difficult my everyday life there would be, especially during such field training. I improved my stamina and ability to live in a team, because we were all together 24/7. If we make noise at night, no matter who is doing it, they take us outside with the whole tent to do physical exercises. This is a collective responsibility that increases discipline. Fortunately, during my admission and then when I came to the meeting, I made friends with several girls, so it won’t be so scary to leave my parents’ house. I'm looking forward to the school year, a new milestone in life. And my dream came true thanks to “Zubr”!
MEANWHILE
Vladislav Ponkratenko was unable to visit the camp due to family reasons. Now he is back in action and ready to work. The young man is entering the 11th grade, and the new school year is decisive for him. The graduate will have to decide what he wants to be and, accordingly, where to enroll. In the future, Vlad sees himself as a policeman, which means he will work at Zubr with special zeal.
