Putin suggests renaming Russia’s new youth organization to the Pioneers

President of Russia Vladimir Putin suggested that a new Russian youth organization consider using naming itself Pioneers, the name of a mass youth organization in the Soviet period. The organization chose the name Movement of the First for itself in December 2022. It took three votes for the organization to decide on its name at its first meeting. Eventually, Movement of the First won, and Pioneers came in fourth place out of five in the final round of voting.

On April 19, Putin listened to a presentation from Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova which touched on the Movement of the First. The president said, “The first — what is that? That’s the Pioneers, right?”

“That’s the old-fashioned way to say it,” agreed Golikova. “The old way, the new way — how it was is how it is, there’s no getting away from it,” Putin objected. “The terminology, this name is devoid of any ideological connotations, unlike the Komsomol, the communist youth league,” he added. “Think about it, please, alright?” the president said.

Golikova noted that youth delegates had chosen the name for themselves at the first meeting. But Putin continued to insist, “Fine, alright, I know about this, but when we use this term now, we have to think about it and consult with the children, okay?” Golikova agreed.

Two sources who are close to the presidential administration told Meduza that the name Pioneers was discussed in spring 2022, but at that time the Kremlin decided “not to connect a new movement with the past, with the Soviet.” One source added, “But the president likes this past, and no one came up with another memorable name.”