On June 15, 2026, the young naturalist movement of Russia celebrates its 108th birthday. It was on June 15, 1918, in the Moscow park "Sokolniki," that staff of the newly established Youth Nature Lovers Station conducted the first organized excursion, which became the starting point of the history of this unique children's movement, unparalleled in the world. Over a century of existence, the young naturalists have made a huge contribution to science and have raised not one generation of scientists-biologists, ecologists, and simply people who love nature. Today, the traditions laid down in the distant 1918 continue to live and develop, finding new forms and attracting thousands of schoolchildren across the country.How it all began: the idea and its realization By 1918, despite revolutionary events and the Civil War, the young Soviet republic understood the importance of nurturing the younger generation in harmony with the surrounding world. The founders of the first Youth Nature Lovers Station were two enthusiasts: a pediatrician, Chairman of the Sokolnichesky District Council Ivan Vasilevich Rusakov, and a young biology teacher Boris Vasilevich Vsesvятский. Rusakov's idea was to create a place for urban children where they could combine school studies with the study of the secrets of nature, and Vsesvятский, who became the first director of the station, took on the practical organization of work. The station was housed in a requisitioned merchant's dacha, known as the "Blue Dacha," located on Rostokino Street, near the forest massif of Pogonno-Losinny Ostrov. The initial staff of the bio-station consisted of only three people, but this did not prevent them from sparking a spark of love for nature in the hearts of children. In May 1918, an announcement appeared in Sokolniki inviting children and working youth to become permanent practitioners at the Youth Nature Lovers Station. Seventeen boys and girls responded, ready to learn the secrets of the forest for free. It ... Read more