In Kyiv, the Ukrainian scout organization Plast celebrated its 114th birthday. The official founding date is April 21. The celebrations were held today, April 25, in Taras Shevchenko Park.
A correspondent for Suspilny reported this from the scene.
Plast is the largest youth scout organization in Ukraine. Every year in April, scouts remember the first steps of the Plast group “Kruk” in Lviv in 1912, founded by Oleksandr Tysovsky.
Celebrations in Taras Shevchenko Park on the occasion of the 114th anniversary of Plast. Social News/Stanislav Svyryd
Celebrations in Taras Shevchenko Park on the occasion of the 114th anniversary of Plast. Social News/Stanislav Svyryd
Currently, more than 500 scouts have gathered in the capital's Taras Shevchenko Park. They took the oath and reported on the work of their kurens.
“The Scouts' Union was founded 114 years ago. It was then that the Scouts took the first oath, promising to be loyal to Ukraine, to be true to themselves, to develop, to improve themselves, and to live by the Scout law. All these years, the Scouts have kept the oath, because for us these are not just words, they are a signpost that guides us in our daily affairs, in public affairs, and in affairs that can be useful to society and Ukraine,” said Scout Iryna Yarova.
She also said that currently more than five hundred scouts serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thousands of scouts in the field carry out daily work – volunteer projects, social initiatives, raising children, etc.
“Today we are here to continue this tradition, to celebrate. In general, scouts are Ukrainian scouts, so our activities are very diverse. We do very, very different things, so it is very difficult to describe it in one word. Scouts are also about volunteering. Scouts are about helping others, creating new things, creating something incredible, interesting, anything that can impress you and just touch your soul,” said scout Vladyslav.
For a long time, Plast celebrated the Day of the First Oath on April 12, as the organization's birthday, but archival documents confirm that the first meetings of the Plast “Kruk” circle took place on April 21 (the date April 12 most likely appeared as a result of a technical error). Starting this year, Plast will switch to celebrating the organization's birthday on the 21st.
Plast is a Ukrainian scout organization whose goal is to promote the comprehensive, patriotic education and self-education of Ukrainian youth. It is a non-political and non-denominational organization.