Russian Russian Language and Culture Association named after A.I. Solzhenitsyn organized the Pilgrim Children's camp in the vicinity of Yalova, near the coast of the Marmara Sea in Turkey, from August 15 to 25, 2026, with the support of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage.
This year, more than 60 boys and girls participated in the project. The children studied Russian language and culture, the basics of the Orthodox faith, engaged in general physical training, learned how to provide first aid, practiced archery, javelin throwing, orienteering, passed an obstacle course, acquired survival skills in the wild, participated in mini-hikes, swam in the sea.
Among the campers were not only the children of compatriots living in Turkey, but also children from Turkish families. The winners of the XIII Easter Miracle children's drawing contest also took part in the camp, the telegram channel of the communities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Turkey reports.
On August 24, Priest Georgy Sergeyev, responsible for feeding the faithful of the Moscow Patriarchate in the territory of the Republic of Turkey, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the territory of the camp, which he accompanied with a preliminary explanation of the history of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the symbolic meaning of the Lord's Supper. The children and teachers of the camp received communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
The clergyman also performed a prayer service before the start of the school year.