New Russian children’s and youth organization named ‘Movement of the First’

The first congress of the new state-sponsored Russian children’s and youth organization has voted on the organization’s name. TASS, RIA Novosti, and RBC report that the organization will operate as the “Movement of the First.”

In the first two attempts to name the organization, the majority of voters chose “Movement of the First’” as their preferred name, but disagreements among the delegates caused the results to be invalidated, and the vote to start over, twice.

In the third round of voting, five possible names were presented to be voted on. “Movement of the First” garnered 760 votes, “New Generation” got 326, “Youth” got 76, “Pioneers” got 56, and “The Gagarin Movement” got 51.

In May 2022, the State Duma proposed the creation of a state-sponsored children’s and youth movement. Draft legislation was submitted on the 100-year anniversary of the Russian Young Pioneers organization. The bill was passed in July, and Russian President Vladimir Putin became the head of the advisory board for the so-called “new Pioneers’ organization.”