The Lastochka (Swallow) recreation centre, which is owned by Dorogobuzh (a member of Acron Group), is located in a picturesque woodland setting on the shore of Lake Rubezhnoe in Dorogobuzh district. More than 900 children from Smolensk region and other parts of Russia visited the centre during five sessions held between 6 June and 22 August 2026. A further 170 children are expected to attend the sixth session, which runs from 24 October to 6 November during the autumn school holidays.
As usual, each session had a theme. The first session was titled ‘Place for Inspiration’. During the second session, ‘Art Workshop’, children took part in five creative courses covering singing, acting, dancing, media arts and fashion design. The third session, ‘Cut!’, focused on filmmaking. The fourth session, ‘Poetarium’, was dedicated to the anniversary of Sergei Yesenin and the Year of National Unity. The centre also hosted the Sokol VDV (Falcon of the Russian Airborne Forces) military-sports training camp for children, which featured team-building exercises, combat medic training, group sessions in tactics and military engineering, and hand-to-hand combat exercises.
The final summer session, ‘Sports Academy’, brought together young track and field athletes, skiers, volleyball and basketball players and sambo wrestlers from Dorogobuzh and Smolensk. The two-week session’s programme included variety of sports competitions, games and challenges. Children participated in the Camp Olympics, earning their place in the Lastochka Book of Sports Records. Members of children’s and youth organisations, sports and patriotic clubs, and volunteers also attended the centre during the fourth and fifth specialised sessions.
Alexander Kuleshov, head of Lastochka, said: ‘Today, our recreation centre is one of the best countryside children’s camps in Smolensk region. From their first days at the camp, children enjoyed a varied and action-packed programme focused primarily on promoting a healthy lifestyle. In the summer of 2026, the camp’s child health improvement indicator stood at 95.4 per cent, exceeding the regional average’.
Lastochka was established in 1966 and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. For generations of Dorogobuzh employees, it has remained the place where children can enjoy their holidays in a safe, entertaining and enriching environment. The centre offers a variety of outdoor activities, including recreational and educational games, quizzes, flash mobs, scavenger hunts, music competitions and swimming in the lake. Lastochka brings smiles, joy and memorable experiences to children, encouraging them to appreciate the world around them, respect their elders and care for younger children. The centre’s teaching staff foster the values of friendship, trust, support, honesty and mutual understanding. They help children discover their talents, find new interests and hobbies, and take part in sports and music classes, as well as artistic and scientific activities.