Children's Public Associations Day in 2025: on what date, how has Pioneer Day changed

In Russia, Children's Public Associations Day is celebrated on May 19, a holiday better known as Pioneer Day. This celebration brings warmth to the hearts of everyone who has ever worn a red tie, and at the same time introduces new opportunities to the younger generation. In 2025, the holiday falls on a Monday. Izvestia tells readers about the history and traditions of the significant date.

What is the date of Children's Public Associations Day in 2025?

The Day of Children's Public Associations is celebrated annually on May 19th. The date is fixed and does not change from year to year.

Children's Public Associations Day or Pioneer Day — the history of the holiday

The pioneers had their own holiday together with the appearance of the social movement itself in the country. It was established on the day of the Komsomol Congress, which was held on May 19, 1922. The idea of the American Scouts was taken as the basis, and the French word for "pioneer" was used as the name.

The new association was named the All-Union Pioneer Organization named after V.I. Lenin. It was conceived as a social movement in which children would be taught patriotic values and taught to contribute to the development of a socialist society.

The scout slogan "Be ready!" remained the motto of the pioneer organization. The anthem of the movement was the lines by Alexander Zharov, set to music by Sergei Kaidan-Deshkin. The pioneers wore red ties and were divided into squads. Children from 9 to 14 years old could become members of the pioneer organization by taking an oath.

Pioneer Day in the USSR was celebrated on a large scale. In Moscow, a pioneer parade was held right on Red Square, and the leaders of the detachments reported on the work done — collecting scrap metal, helping the elderly, and cleaning the streets. The culprits of the celebration were congratulated by members of the Politburo, secretaries of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Central Committee of the Komsomol, party veterans and other honorary members of the society.

About the movement: a working group on the youth education system will appear in the AP

In total, 11 million people joined the ranks of the "first", Putin said at the organization's congress.

"Lenin lessons" were held in schools on the occasion of the celebration. At these festive classes, the results of the competitions between the various squads were summed up and those who distinguished themselves were awarded.

In the evening, the unofficial part of the holiday began — pioneer bonfires, encouraging warm conversations and dreams about the future.

With the collapse of the USSR, Pioneria as an organization also ceased to exist. But the traditions of the association have become public knowledge, and now the holiday is celebrated as the Day of Children's Public Organizations.

In modern Russia, celebrations are more modest. On the day of the celebration, children and teenagers who are members of various public organizations are honored — the Russian Movement of Schoolchildren, Unarmia, the Movement of the First Movement of Children and Youth founded in 2022, and other activists.

In the regions, children continue to be accepted as pioneers — now schoolchildren take the oath unofficially. Cultural and public organizations of the cities organize concerts and actions in honor of the holiday and attract young enthusiasts to clean the streets, help the disabled and the elderly.