Interview with the camp's director

Valery Nikolaevich Dolgikh has been operating the camp "New Generation" for more than 20 years since he founded it in 1999 till now. Prior to operating his own camp, he had previous experience in working as a senior counsellor in two other camps "Zvyzdochka" and "Ural Dawns". Valeiry has developed his camp through the years by two ways, first by hiring a professional team with him, and secondly, by introducing new methods, activities and tools that help the kids to discover and entertain themselves, also to learn, recreate, and enjoy their time.

Mr. Valeiry Dolgikh

Director.
  • What differs your camp from the others?
    Every year there are always new things in the camp, we make new editions of the shifts and add new activities to it, so are always seeking to develop the camp.
  • Why are you interested in receiving international volunteers every year?
    We are interested in receiving international volunteers every year for our children to meet new people and to increase their knowledge about how other people live in other countries.
  • What are the obstacles that may face them when they come to NG camp?
    First, The difference in the cultures and the way of communication between the International volunteer and the kids. Second, the different way of living, for example, we have different food and different lifestyle.
  • I am an international volunteer but I don’t speak Russian, how will I communicate with the people in the camp
    Knowing the Russian language won't be a problem because many kids learn English as they study it in schools. Also, the camp has leaders who can speak English.
  • What are the activities that international volunteers will do in the camp?
    The international volunteers can talk with the children and teach them many things, for example, English, dancing, singing, different type of sports...etc. It's important for us that the volunteers come with something new that we don't have.
  • What are the main events in the camp that the international volunteer has to participate in?
    It depends on the shift, but anyways they have to present themselves and their countries also they can show some national clothes, dances and songs, and they have to choose a club to participate in, for example, a club of dancing, a club of sports…etc.
  • If an international volunteer faced a problem in the camp, what does he expect from you?
    Well, every three days we have a meeting with our volunteers and we ask them do they need anything and if everything is all right or not, if they have a problem, we identify this problem and try to solve it.
  • What are the actions that will be taken from your side, if an international volunteer disobeyed the rules?
    Of course, we will tell him in the beginning that he disobeyed the rules and did something wrong, and if he did something really bad, we will find another camp to him.
  • What will you do if the international volunteer faced any type of bullying?
    We have been working with international volunteers for years and we have never faced such a situation, however, before the shift starts, we always inform the children that we have international volunteers and they have to talk with them politely and if something like that happens, of course, we will make an event dedicated to tolerance.
  • Does the camp receive volunteers from various religious backgrounds? and how do you deal with their differences?
    We accept volunteer from different backgrounds and don't look in the religious or political backgrounds. For the second question, before the volunteers come, we make a skype interview with them, also there are organizations that help us to find international volunteers, and they come here to form a team with each other. Also, the volunteer who comes to the camp has to understand that our camp is a place free from politics or religion because the children don't talk about it.
  • How do the international volunteers live in the camp; What do they eat, where do they live, what are the facilities that they have?
    They live as the other workers in the camp, they eat the same food and have the same working hours but they have only one free day per week while the organizers have two. They live in 3-4 rooms persons with each other or with the organizers, and in their rooms, they have closets, tables, beds, and heaters while the bathroom, shower room and laundry are in different buildings.
  • Does the camp provide food for those who have special eating habits, for example, if the volunteer is vegan, Hindu, Muslim... Etc.
    The camp doesn't provide special food; however, in each meal, we cook different varieties that they can choose from.
  • I am an international volunteer and I want to join the camp this summer, what shall I do?
    There is an online form on our website which contains many questions that you have to fill and you must mention what are the skills or the activities that you will teach the children.
  • Does the camp provide the visa and transportation for the international volunteers
    The chosen volunteers will have to send a copy of their valid passport and we make an invitation to them to help them to get the visa if required. We don't provide transportation; the volunteers have to cover their round flight tickets from their countries to perm city. We only provide transportation from Perm city to the camp and back. However, the accommodation, food, and medical care inside the camp are fully covered.
  • Does the camp provide tours for its international volunteers in Perm city?
    Yes, we usually make such tours inside the city when the volunteers have a free day.
  • Does the visa to the camp provide extra time to spend in the city? for example, If I want to stay in Perm city for some time before and/or after my stay in the camp.
    Yes, but the volunteers have to tell us about the period that they want to stay in the city so that we put this in our consideration while making the invitation for them before applying to the visa, however, the whole period in Russia can't be more than 90 days.
  • What are the papers that I should prepare to get my visa?
    The papers required for getting the visa may differ from one country to another, we only make our part by sending the invitation and the volunteers have to check the visa procedures from the Russian embassy website in their own countries.
  • Do I have to send any medical clearance certificates before I come to the camp?
    Yes, we usually send a number of analysis that the volunteer should bring to Russia but also in every country there may be a different list of analysis and Russia accept all these documents.
  • Do I have to take any vaccines before I come to the camp?
    Yes, vaccines against hepatitis and Tuberculosis. Also, in some countries to get the visa, you (may) have to take some vaccines and show the certificates of them. Also, you (may) be stopped at the airport if you didn’t take such vaccines.
  • Will I pass any medical tests when I come to the camp?
    No, in the camp there are not any medical tests to be passed.
  • If I visited the camp before, can I apply one more time?
    Of course, yes, some volunteers came back to us again a couple of times. And they don't have to pass the same processes but they will have to teach the children new activities.
  • What advice do you give to the volunteers who will visit the camp?
    They need to bring their national costumes, songs, videos about their countries, and also, they should prepare themselves for work with children. Finally, to bring a different type of clothes for sunny, rainy, hot and cold weather.
  • Should the international volunteer have previous experience in dealing with children before he comes to the camp?
    No, it's not necessary to have it but it will be preferable. In case they don't have, they will be asked in the interview if they have younger brothers or sisters.
  • If an international volunteer came to the camp and spent some time but for some reasons he wanted to leave, is he allowed to do so?
    Yes, he can, but he will have to go to the city from the camp by himself.
  • Does the relationship between the camp and the international volunteers end after they leave?
    No, we continue to communicate with our volunteers with the help of different social media websites, they also sometimes came back again to the camp. Besides that, we have a Facebook group which helps us to communicate with the volunteers and helps them to communicate with each other.