Children from Germany spent three weeks in a camp on the Crimean
peninsula, known as Artek youth center, as part of a program organized by Putin’s United Russia party. Russian soldiers have presented a “benign” view of the war in Ukraine, and Russia is bringing in minors from Western countries to conduct propaganda in the annexed and internationally isolated territory. Parents in Germany seem to agree to such trips. This was reported in the T-online publication.
For three weeks, several children and teenagers from Germany participated in a camp at Artek. This complex, which has its roots in the Soviet era, is larger than Monaco and, after the occupation of Crimea, was turned by the Kremlin into a patriotic project that cost hundreds of millions of euros.
In the eighth round of this year’s competition, more than 3,000 children and teenagers from 60 countries took part. Some of the participants paid for their stay, while others received it for free as a reward for special achievements or successful participation in competitions. In particular, children from Germany, France, and Finland were invited to this challenging trip to Crimea as winners of the contest “People of Artek”.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center believes that the use of young people for propaganda in times of war is not only unacceptable, but also dangerous. This shows how far authoritarian regimes are willing to influence the minds of new generations. Parents who allow their children to participate in such events should realize that they are becoming part of Russian propaganda, where their children’s lives and futures can be used for political purposes.