Thousands of schoolchildren gathered on Red Square wearing red hats and neckerchiefs Sunday as Russia’s Communist Party inducted new members of the Pioneers, the party’s youth organization during the U.S.S.R.
In an opening address, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov thanked parents and teachers for their loyalty to the “glorious traditions of the great Soviet era.”
While the Young Pioneers was dissolved when the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian lawmakers last year approved the creation of a new, modern-day youth movement in the style of the Soviet-era organization.
The move came as Russian authorities seek to inculcate values of patriotism and boost a feeling of national pride among the country’s children.
Here’s a look at Sunday’s event:
