Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Bargain Stone stands in the churchyard.
Bargain Stone
The Ernst Thälmann Monument
Ernst Thälmann Monument
One of the BHS murals tells the origin story of Stockport.
The BHS Murals in Stockport
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Parkside Plum Juice
Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.
Aksorn
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
1 day ago
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
3 days ago
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Russia Dmitrovsky District Young Pioneer Camp

Young Pioneer Camp

A Marxist summer camp full of fantastical statues lies tucked away and forgotten in the forests of Moscow.

Dmitrovsky District, Russia

Added By
Darmon Richter
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
  Darmon Richter
Unknown creatures in the cinema hall   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Pinoccio incite the old cinema hall   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Figures on the wall in the cinema hall   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Insite one of the abandoned living building   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Alien’s life in Marxiscs times, yeah!   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Who could live in that settings???   toltec / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Abandoned sometime in the late 1980s, this bizarre children's camp now stands forgotten in a forest north of Moscow. The site is most notable for its striking decorations; oversized, grotesque sculptures of deep-sea creatures which dominate the complex.

The camp was built by the Young Pioneer Organisation, a children's program founded by Lenin for the purposes of education and the propagation of Marxist ideology. During the height of the movement there were as many as 40,000 such camps spread across the USSR, catering to millions of young minds.

Camps were often specialised to deliver a blend of fun, games and career-specific training; there were sports camps, technical camps, geological and naturalist camps. Few such sites now remain, most of them having been torn down following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. While it's hard to find information about this particular camp, the aquatic theme of the decor would seem to suggest a link to marine biology and naturalism.

In addition to a giant octopus, seahorses, squid and a two-storey flounder, other sculptures depict Soviet symbols and otherworldly, fantastical creatures. One of the more bizarre installations features a child caught in the grip of some kind of deep-sea terror. In the overgrown central courtyard, meanwhile, amidst flocks of grazing sheep there stands a memorial bust of Lenin himself. 

The location of this camp makes it rather difficult to find, tucked away on an unmarked road which cuts through the heart of a dense forest. If you're planning to visit, then you should consider yourself warned – the local "security" doesn't take kindly to tourists.

[Adapted with permission from an original report by Darmon Richter. For more images and info, visit The Bohemian Blog]

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Statues Ruins

Community Contributors

Added By

Darmon Richter

Edited By

toltec

  • toltec

Published

May 19, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.thebohemianblog.com
Young Pioneer Camp
Dmitrov
Dmitrovsky District
Russia
56.239528, 37.399423
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tchaikovsky State House Museum

Klin, Russia

miles away

RKK Energiya Museum

Korolyov, Russia

miles away

Muzey Kino

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Russia

Russia

Europe

Places 189
Stories 58

Nearby Places

Tchaikovsky State House Museum

Klin, Russia

miles away

RKK Energiya Museum

Korolyov, Russia

miles away

Muzey Kino

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Russia

Russia

Europe

Places 189
Stories 58

Related Stories and Lists

The Essential Guide to Soviet Playgrounds: Fun & Games in the USSR

essential guide

By Darmon Richter

Related Places

  • Pentidattilo was named for the hand-shaped rock on which it sits.

    Pentidattilo, Italy

    Pentidattilo

    A ghost town on the slopes of a hand-shaped rock is haunted by the story of a 17th-century murder.

  • Cabin made of old railroad ties.

    Carlin, Nevada

    Palisade

    Little is left of this formerly bustling railroad junction on the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • Our Lady of Hope at Ramla Beach

    Gozo, Malta

    Our Lady of Hope

    One of Malta’s most popular beaches features a seemingly out-of-place statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.

  • Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • Argonne, South Dakota

    Argonne Ghost Town

    Once a thriving town of 100, Argonne was abandoned around 1970.

  • View of Belmont coming in from the south.  Note the red brick chimney of the Monitor-Belmont mill to the left.

    Manhattan, Nevada

    Belmont

    The second seat of Nye County, still mostly a ghost town, has become a magnet for those looking to live "away from it all."

  • Nye County, Nevada

    Warm Springs Ghost Town

    The only thing still moving in this town is the eponymous hot spring.

  • Tybo Mine.

    Nye County, Nevada

    Tybo

    Equipment used to mine silver and lead has been preserved in this almost-ghost town in northern Nye County.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.