Russian Student Organizations

RSO logo

Russian Student Organizations (or Brigades as Wikipedia says) (RSO) is a big all-Russian youth non-governmental organization founded in 2004. It was created to provide college and university students with different jobs, mostly during summer holidays. Once you join one or another organization, you can become a teacher in a children summer camp (as me), a constructor, a conductor on a train, a worker on a fish-processing plant or somewhere else. At least these four professions are available in our Primorsky region. I'm not sure that you can be a worker on a fish-processing plant somewhere in the central Russia.
Such Student organizations originated in 1959 at the Physics Department of the Moscow State University as student construction brigades. They built new railways, buildings and etc. to 'create communism'. From the mid-sixties, they became an all-Union movement with all the camp teachers, plant workers, conductors, ecologists and so on. One of the main aims was to grow the feeling of the unity, pride, love to work. And of course even back then people earned money this way too. Actually, you can make pretty much working as a constructor or a plant worker. To be honest, teachers have the smallest wages but it's more about loving children, nice time with your mates and summer, I think.

Coastal Cluster of the Winter Olympics venues which were
built with the help of RSO

So, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union the tradition of student organization continued in some Russian regions. The main center was in Yekaterinburg, so it's exactly where the modern Russian tradition of student organization started. RSO has done many awesome things in modern Russia. The construction brigades helped to build the venues of the 2014 Winter Olympics, our two fantastic bridges in Vladivostok and the latest project Vostochny Cosmodrome which is still being built. The conductors go on trains from Vladivostok to Moscow for 7 days and back. Well, guys from other cities have other routes, but I don't know much about them. People joined fishing organizations come to my home island Sakhalin to work at the fish-processing plant.

Almost all the members have special RSO jackets as the uniform. The jackets can be khaki, dark green (or even blue in rare cases) that resemble the constuctors' uniform in the USSR. Only the teachers don't receive the jackets as they start working because we don't do any 'dirty work', we don't need such kind of uniform. A teacher must deserve, earn this jacket, it's kinda a symbol that your organization trusts you and present you a jacket. Teachers' uniform usually is a t-shirt and a neckerchief of significant colors.
Every organization has its commander, commissar, methodologist and master. RSO, as one huge organization consolidating the organizations from the whole country, has its own commander, commissar and master. And regional departments have too.

Different student organizations of Vladivostok on the Tiger's Day. I wasn't there :c
See the khaki jackets? Also you can differentiate one organization from another by the colors of the uniforms

Some of us posing for the photo session due to our being
the best pedagogical organization in our region in 2015

Personally I am a member of a student teaching organization (or as it's called a student pedagogical organization). Our organization's called "S.T.E.P." which is deciphered as Student Teaching English Program. Our organization has the bias for the English language (nowadays we're the only organization in our region with the bias for English) therefore all the members have made-up English names. Mine is Leslie, obviously. We work in the children summer camp called - you won't believe - "English Camp" which is situated right on my university campus. There are 3 terms during summer; also this camp has terms during fall, winter and spring holidays.

"S.T.E.P." is the biggest pedagogical organization in Primorsky region as far as I know. Formally, there are more than 100 members, though only about 70-80 teachers worked during the last summer. Anyhow, it didn't prevent us from becoming the best pedagogical organization in Primorye in 2015!
I worked last summer during the 1st term, it was my very first time. Of course, during the previous academic year we had been trained, but I faced the real children only in summer. Thankfully, my co-worker was an experienced teacher, she became my good friend. And our helper was so amazing though she was a fresh blood too.

Me and the teacher from another team (on the left) as the hosts
for the evening event with our boss Francis between us

But being a part of RSO isn't only about work and earning money. For me being a part of such a huge organization awakes some proud feelings inside like "Hell yeah, I do something good! It's useful and something you can be proud of". Apart from direct work student organization originate various social events. For example, our organization provides free English lessons in Vladivostok's libraries for kids. Unfortunately, I don't have time to teach there this year, but last year I willingly gave some lessons in the libraries as well.

Each year Primorsky Department of RSO arranges the event or the contest called something like "The Worker of the Year". At this event the best workers, the best organizations are announced. There are some criteria for that, but don't ask me about that. So, as I've already mentioned, our organization became the best!! We were so happy and proud!

But what can you see? I'm wearing The Jacket on the photo! Unfortunately, it's not mine (yet!) - I had to borrow one to perform on stage! I was honored to sing our national anthem, the RSO anthem and the theme song on stage with 5 other coolest singers of Primorsky Department of RSO. Although, it wasn't me who participated in the contest as a worker of the year, I felt so proud to represent my organization during the musical performances.

I'm actually happy that I joined RSO last year. I can't wait to see new guys coming to our organization, getting its craziness and awesomeness. Some of them will stay, some of them will go; but the process itself, the experience is priceless.

Be brave to be a part of something grand