Built in 1966, the Lastochka (Swallow) summer camp is located in a picturesque forest on the shore of Lake Rubezhnoe in Dorogobuzh district and is owned by Dorogobuzh (a member of Acron Group). In 2025, the camp began operating all year round and was redesignated as a recreation centre. This year, Lastochka is organising six sessions for the first time: five during the summer and one during the autumn school break. Nearly 900 children are expected to attend.
Children and grandchildren of Dorogobuzh and its subsidiaries’ employees, aged 6 to 17, will receive preferential vouchers worth RUB 5,000. The company will cover the remaining expenses as part of its social benefits package, which is one of the best in Smolensk region.
Lastochka has developed a new programme based on the uniform Federal Educational Programme approved by the Russian Ministry of Education focused on preserving traditional ethical and spiritual values. This age-specific and child-friendly programme is designed to foster social awareness and environmental consciousness, encourage respect for cultural diversity, and develop personal qualities required for successful socialisation.
As usual, each session is themed. The first one, Summer Like a Fairy Tale, officially opened on 10 June 2025. Several guests of honour, including Executive Director Roman Dmitriev, Smolensk region’s Minister of Education and Science Dina Khnycheva, Smolensk region’s Deputy Minister of Education and Science Elena Kudritskaya, member of the Smolensk Region Duma (Parliament) Igor Gulitsky, Head of the Dorogobuzh Municipal District Konstantin Serenkov and others, congratulated children on the start of the 2025 summer season.
Ms Khnycheva believes that Vasily Anokhin, the Governor of Smolensk region, saw the development of summer camps’ infrastructure as a key priority. ‘In Lastochka, children and teenagers can rest properly, recharge their batteries before the new school year, discover their artistic talents and learn new things. On behalf of the Smolensk regional administration, I would like to thank Dorogobuzh management for creating modern and comfortable accommodation at the Lastochka centre and for improving the system of children's recreation and healthcare’.
The second session, Lastochka by Note, is all about music, dancing and singing, while the third session’s motto is Each Day is a Holiday. The fourth and fifth sessions will bring together members of sports and patriotic clubs, as well as volunteers, winners of academic competitions and high-achieving pupils.
Lastochka has everything for comfortable, interesting and safe vacations and offers an entertaining event plan, including hobby clubs and workshops to learn something useful and explore your talents, outdoor games and competitions, and sports tournaments. Children are provided with five nutritious and balanced meals a day.
Dorogobuzh’s personnel participated in preparing the centre for the summer season: they laid hundreds of square metres of paving stones, resurfaced a central road, installed kerbs, equipped two all-purpose playgrounds, purchased sports equipment and organised a beach area.
Following Roman Dmitriev's suggestion, a mural of a swallow was painted on the water tower. It has become a popular photo spot and a landmark for Lastochka. The centre’s administration upgraded the lighting and surveillance systems, doubling the number of cameras. The perimeter fence was replaced, and over 200 trees were planted.
Five new facilities were constructed at Lastochka in the past year. A new gas boiler unit now supplies the recreation centre with hot water and a new water treatment station has significantly improved water quality. The new first-aid post was supplied with all the necessary medical equipment. Several upgrades were made to the canteen: a heating system was installed; new toilettes with washbasins were fitted; new kitchen equipment, including a combi steamer for preparing healthy food, was purchased; and all the old furniture was replaced.