The Winter Expedition is a week long trip to Saint Petersburg. Below are details of the next trip in 2008 and the first trip in 2002.

2008 Expedition

How much will it cost? Around £590, the principle cost been the flight. Very little spending money will be required.

When is it? February 2008, during the half-term holidays.  Dates to been finalised

Who can go? Any one who is a member of the UK Scout Association and is over 14 years on the day of travel.

What is the itinerary? The trip will allow you to visit the city of Saint Petersburg and visit Russian Scouts and leaders. Six days will be spent at a campsite at Losevo, 80km North of St. P. where you will stay in heated log cabins. Meals will be served in the café (which also doubles as the bar and disco). A sauna is also available to keep you warm! A two night cross-country skiing hike will take you out into the surrounding woods; no skiing experience is necessary as you will receive suitable instruction.

What preparation will I need? As on the previous occasion, there will be an introduction  / training / information weekend on in November 2007, at a central location to the participants. (Details will be sent to all those who have registered an interest) You will have a chance to meet the rest of the group, ask questions, sort out visas, check equipment requirement, etc.

What equipment will I need? You will need some very warm clothing as you can expect it to be quite cold. You will not need any special camping equipment as it will be provided for you although you will need the standard walking boots, rucksack and sleeping bag.

How do I apply to join this Expedition or find-out more? In the first instance you should contact the organisers: Tim Axe 0115 9734571 tim@timaxe.fsnet.co.uk or Paul Findlay 01302 857242. A £50 deposit will be required by 18th September.

Is there anything else? The last trip was a great success and toughly enjoyed by all who took part. Our Russian friends are very welcoming and this is a very beautiful part of Russia, particularly in winter. Although it will be cold (-10º to –30ºC), with some decent thermal underwear it will not be uncomfortable. The campsite has excellent facilities and the countryside is ideal for exploring.

View the flyer for this trip; Poster (192kb) Text details (PDF 266kb)

2002 Expedition

Yipee! We had an excellent trip. Our 10 days were brilliant! Here is a summary of what we did:

• 27th April: fly via Frankfurt to St P. and stayed in a hotel over night.
• 28th April: took the train from the Finland station to Losevo and settled into the cabins at the campsite. All our meals were served in the site's bar!
• 29th April: we had a tour of the site, visiting the beach at the lake. We also had a presentation for the Scouts that were staying at the bunk house. In the evening there was campfire with entertainment and a disco! Later there was an investiture which we took part in.
• 30th April to 1st March: the six Ventures and two Leaders set off with Russian Leaders and Scouts for our expedition into the forest (PDF 13kb).

• 2nd March: sightseeing tour to an airbase (we actual sat in real MIG31s!). We also visited a museum near Priozersk, which has a monument to Kipling who visited there. We also visited a church 2km from the campsite. In the evening we had another campfire and some presentations.
• 3rd March: left Losevo for St P for home hospitality, two to a family. Most of us stayed in Metalostroy, at the southern end of Metro line 3.
• 4th March: had a sightseeing tour, visited a bar and the theatre.
• 5th March: bit more sightseeing and visiting Scout groups. Nightclub until 6am!
• 6th March: Russian-British Network meeting and sausage sizzle!
• 7th March: Fly home. Bo-ho.

You can view all of the pictures.

If you want to contact any of those who took part, email wopbobaloolop@hotmail.com.

Our thanks to all who made this such a great trip, especially our Russian hosts and friends.

TRAVEL OUT

Flight arrangements went very well – Convenient from Manchester & London for all but time taken is longer than direct and cost would have been greater.

Good help from Lufthansa on excess baggage 65 kg of an assortment of uniform delivered to Natasha Skorokhodova.

Journey to Losevo by public transport - metro and train and then a long walk - went quite well for most.

Losevo is well equipped with cabins a hostel or two, banya, bar, dance floor and mess facilities. Food was basic. Beds were OK. Map supplied of area. There is another camp site in the area next to a lake but only for tent accommodation.

The Losevo campsite is owned privately by Vladimir Vassiliev. There was a party of 40 children (I think from a school) at the camp – the activities of which were being run by the camp staff on a scout basis. Adults wore scout scarves and one was invested at a ceremony. A session on the History of Scouting was given to the young people and scouting activities were run by UK Leaders 11.00am to 4.00pm. The children left on the Saturday and were replaced with another group – History of Scouting was explained again.

Subsequently one of the adults contacted Natasha to request that two new Troops be opened – one in the Losevo area and one in the centre of St.Pb.

Expedition seemed to have gone well – equipment OK, safety OK, Russian Scouts went with our Scouts and were an asset. Learnt a lot – needs to be earlier as snow was wet. Paul and Tim can enlarge on the expedition and experience at Losevo – the Venture Scouts were raving about it afterwards.

LENNINGRAD REGION

Travelled by car from Losavo to Airport with Alexey Kruchinin and Eugeniy Klimov (scout@scoutclub.ru). Visited their club HQ. Alexey is responsible for the Lenningrad Region, a massive area to manage, and its ARNSO development and is a good friend of Slava Chernik.

Training course run by Slava in February was a great hit – Course 1 of 2 towards achieving the Wood Badge - 15 members from Lenningrad region and 5/7 from St Pb City attended.

ARNSO Membership given as at 30^th March 2002 was:

Vsevolochsk 25 –26, Morozova 20-22, Kirichi 25, Budogoch 12, Ivangorod 50, Slancy 16, Kingisepp 20, Svetogorsk 20, Lodeynoe Pole 30, Tihvin 21. TOTAL about 250

ARKHANGELSK

Flight was good – I have no hesitation in recommending the internal flights to the northern cities of Russia.

Olga Ushakova and Igor Chumok (went to Charnwood 2001) welcomed me at the airport.

Wined and dined at a parents home with many people wanting to meet me. Little Bee, Natasha Leonovitch, took me home to stay.

Visited School for orphans – fantastic children – gave a talk about me and Scouting, was taking by the children to see were they lived, went to classes, their work and their play. Made me weep with joy. Gave me a home made present – a plaster cast of themselves and of me. Went to the museum of wooden buildings. Wined and dined at another family.

No-one has been contacted by NORS-R since SARATOV Jamboree other than the Piligrim newspaper (no. 31 issued recently).

Known Scouts are:-

• Arkhangelsk
• Natasha Leonovitch – Snow Leopards 10, Polar Star 30, Green House (orphans school) 15
• Oleg Pokkovski – we think now closed
• Jeanne Butaleva - ???
• By default they are NORS-R bur will change to ARNSO if V Vassiliev is with them.
• Severodvinsk
• Oleg Davidenko 4 groups NORS-R Oleg is also the NORS-R north west region President.
• ORYR one troop
• Igor Chumak - Karachum 18, Igor is independent and does his Scouting with Natasha L.

Went to Arkhangelsk centre – took part in a question and answer session on the radio, went to see museums, gave a presentation to two English classes at a school, went to a craft school (the first in Russia) continuing traditional craft in the Arkhangelsk region, went to the local government.

Spent two hours with Yuri Kudriashov (kudry@pomorsu.ru) – a most interesting two hours on the recent developments of Scouting in Russia – see Other information for details.

Wined and dined at Olga’s home.

Went to another school and gave a presentation to two classes once again but this time they were all together. Did some shopping etc and left for the airport. Flew back to St. Pb to be met by Natasha Skorokhodova.

See the pictures.

ST. PETERSBURG

Taken straight to the Moscow area of St. Petersburg to visit a Scout Troop – Zoya Adikaeva (zoyamea@rol.ru) - gave a presentation on me and why we were in St. P and played a game. Sergey Nesterov was also in attendance (nester@asp.spb.org)

The Youth club in which we met was managed by Roman Annenkov. Roman also was a Scout Leader of the Troop Beliy Klik. – assistant is Mikhail Mikhailov They were linked with Chip Willis of Kent from 1993 to 1998 at least that resulted from the 1^st Study visit in 1992. There has been two visits by Kent to St.Pb, 1993 and 1998, and one visit to the Kent by Roman and his Troop in 1996.

Roman Annenkov was standing for Regional Commissioner at the Conference of the open organisation – Scouts of Russia - (I’ve heard since that he was elected for the North West Region). This is one of the seven ‘Mr Putin regions’ I believe.

Known Scout Groups in St. Petersburg City belonging to ARNSO :-

• Moscow Area – 4 Groups - Roman Annenkov "Beliy Klik " 24, Zoya Adikaeya – 25, YMCA affiliated group 20, Another one ? but may not now exist. Joined ARNSO Dec 2001.
• Matalostry – 1 Group - Galina & Tatiana + Vladimir Vassiliev about 50. Joined ARNSO May 2001.
• Vassilieviski Island – 1 Group - meet at Michael Club, Ed Skorokhodov about 30 (plus 6 Rads - Masha). Joined ARNSO May 2001. Group has had links with Notts (Phil Barlow), Sawbridgworth (David Mead) and 6^th WGC (Howard Hicks). Also has links with Scouts in France. Going to France for Summer expedition this year..
• Pushkin – 2 Groups – Olga Sorobseva, "Laming" 28 (12-18 years) and Tamara Kobima, 23. Joined ARNSO 27.02.02. Tamara has had links in 1993 – 1995 with Hertfordshire Scouts, Neil Broughton (Radlett – Hichin and Baldock) and with Dundee, George Walker during 1997 – 1999.
• RADS are present in Pushkin.

Other Groups known who have not changed to ARNSO as of 7^th April are:-

• Petrogradski Area – 1 Group – Natasha & Sasha Karasev’s son 15 (amalgamated Group)
• Premoski Area – 4 Groups – Luba Shokonova 20 , Andrei Smirnof "Pioneer" 50 , Another 20 , Another 30. Luba has links with the Black Dan Venture Scout Unit, Bassingstoke who will be visiting St. Pb in June 2002.
• Andrei Smirnof has support from YMCA2 and by the Communist Party and by a school. There are 3 groups associated with Andrei.
• Kalininski Area – Boris Fadeev "Green Wolf" 30, has joined ORYR with Andrei Klochko. Boris has links with WGC, Herts and with a German Group. He has moved because ORYR has a programme for young people and support service activities for the church. Andrei is the Principal of a school and was seriously knifed last year (Scouts gave blood to save his life).

Other ORYR Groups in St. Petersburg Region include:-

• St Petersburg Centre – Petya Tishenko 30
• Pavlosk – Uri Delev 100
• Nevskiy – Roman Alexander 100
• Volhof – Sasha Poshehonov 150
• Alexandria – Andrei Klochko 60 Andrei is also the Chief Scoutmaster of St. Pb City area

There are other ORYR Groups in the Lenningrad Region.

COMMITTEE FOR YOUTH POLICY OF ST. PETERSBURG

5 UK Leaders plus 4 Russian Leaders visited the Local Government Dept responsible for Youth. The Head of International co-operation was Roman Alexandrov (family_young@gov.spb.ru). His assistant is Petya Tischenko – they are ORYR Scout Leaders who I have met on previous occasions.

All financial support goes to Youth Clubs and extra curricular activities for school children – little goes to Scouts today. Support could be given with Visa invitations – this will be explored by Natasha to eliminate Russian Travel Company costly involvement in Visa invitations. Dialogue was very friendly and Natasha would continue that dialogue in the future. Gifts were exchanged and photographs taken.

Youth Clubs exist all over the City and provide the following activities:-

• Sport – supported by the International Governing body of that sport for international co-operation. Fee is weekly and high but is seen by parents as a means to money.
• Language - seen as essential for the future of young people – Mr Putin sets an example. Straight quarterly Fee is high.
• Computer – attractive to young people to visit virtually, at least, the outside world. Straight annual Fee.
• Craft – Seen as a means of providing skills for work – making and selling. Weekly Fee.
• Scouts – Cheap – attracts poorer parents – offers international experience for 1 – 2 years. Leaders are mainly School Teachers and Youth Club workers – the few from private companies are young people who have been through the movement. Support from Government is small –not considered a prostigious organisation.

One of the events sponsored by the Youth Committee is a Skiing Expeditions including activities over two days using map and compass - 5km, 10km and 15km – and held on about the 24^th January. Scouts do enter and get support the same as schools.

(Subsequent to the meeting Natasha spent time with Petya Tischenko and will be promoting 2003 NORS-R camp as the camp for ARNSO to go to in the summer time. The camp is being organised by Petya and will take place at the Old Ladoga from 14 – 24^th July – organisation is advanced and is supported by St. Pb Youth Committee I believe. I have sent an email to Roman/Petya to establish costs and activities etc.)

FIRST RUSSIAN – BRITISH SCOUT FELLOWSHIP MEETING

This was held at Metalostry Scout Club.

As there were no National/Regional leaders attending (They were attending the Conference in Dubna) the original agenda was abandoned and reduced to topics applicable to St. Petersburg. When we assembled it was clear that the majority of people were Venture Scouts so the agenda was split into two – that which were applicable to all and that which was applicable to leaders only.

Topics covered were:

for everyone

• The History of Network Russia, its aims and objectives.
• Review of Easter Expedition – Leaders perspective and Venture Scouts perspective.
• Future links – Winter Expedition and Explorer Belt, 2003 camp
• Young Leader exchange (perhaps two pair per year from and to St. Pb)
• Signing of the two scarves by all in attendance.

for Leaders only (as requested by Natasha Skorokhodova)

• A presentation on the Structure of the Scout Group / District including administration was given and questions answered.
• Group/District Management Training was seen as a requirement for Managers in Russia.

PUSHKIN

Olga Sorobseva wanted us to visit her Group in Pushkin on Sunday but there was insufficient time. She visited me at Ed & Natasha’s home.

For 10 year Olga was in Narien Mar, due north of Perm on the White Sea on the mainland but near to the tip of New Island, and ran the Scout Troop there. It has 11 months winter and 1 month summer during which time all the plants grow and die creating massive oxygen levels and mosquitoes sufficient to need a net covering over the head at all times. The Russian Government subsidises travel to Narien Mar.

Her 28 Scouts aged 12 – 18, belonging to "Laming Scout Group" (name of a mouse in the north of Russia) seem to be very active – musical – rope-work – canoeing – sailing – skiing.

OTHER INFORMATION

Lufthansa fly to Moscow, Nishnij Novgorod, Kasan, Perm Samara, Ekaterinburg.

Vladimir Vasiliev gave a business card that showed he is "Chief of Council"– St. Petersburg Scouts’ Union. I was also given a card by Maxim Borytchev that showed is is Co-ordinator – Young Scout Leaders’ Club for the St. Petersburg Scouts’ Union.

NORS-R held a Conference at Komarova on 23-25^th December 2001. At this Conference Alexander Karasov resigned as Chairman of NORS-R due to lack of progress. Michael Droshdoff was elected as Chairman NORS-R and later (21.03.2002) stood down as ORYR Chairman - Roman Alexandrov elected to lead ORYR.

Pietra Levitzski resigned from St Vladimirs Scouts and has written to WOSM

29^th March 2002 – Yuri Kudriashov gave a presentation to the Association of the Researches into Children’s Movements of Russia and Belarus. ARNSO – Uri Bogdanov also gave a presentation.

There are a number of Groups, particularly in Siberia who are now neither aligned with NORS-R nor with ARNSO.

Bill Turnbull / 16^th April 2002

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