The National Organization of Russian Scouts (N.O.R.S.) carries on traditions of Russian Scouting from its foundation in 1909, and its exile from Russia, down to the present day.

Nikita Gileff, Chief Scout of the National Organization of Russian Scouts in Australia, has written this short history to create an awareness that Russian Scouting remained active for 85 years and that the rebirth of Scouting in Russia is another phase in a long tradition.

The National Organization of Russian Scouts was founded in 1909 following the visit of Lord Baden Powell to Russia. Tsar Nicholas II commissioned Colonel Oleg Pantuhoff to start Russian Scouting, and the first troop was formed at Tsarskoe Selo, St. Petersburg in 1909. The Tsarevitch Alexei was the first Scout. The first Russian Scout campfire was lit in the woods of Tsarskoe Selo, in Pavlosk Park, to be exact. A beautiful Russian scout song exists to remember this event. It is rare and almost unknown in modern day Russia. The National Organization of Russian Scouts spread rapidly across Russia and into Siberia.

With the advent of communism, after the Russian Revolution, the Scout Organization was banned and there was a purge of the Scout Leaders, many of whom perished under the cruel hand of the Bolsheviks. The National Organization of Russian Scouts then went into exile to almost every continent of the world.

Huge groups could be found in almost every country, the movement spreading in a two pronged direction along with the White Russian émigrés. One wave moved through Europe, establishing groups in France, Serbia, Bulgaria, and other European countries. A much larger mass moved through Vladivostok to the east into Manchuria and south into China where very large groups of thousands of Russian Scouts came into being in cities such as Harbin, Tientsin and Shanghai.

The Chief Scout of Russia, Colonel Oleg Pantuhoff first resided in France and then moved to the USA where large troops of the National Organization of Russian Scouts were established in cities such as San Francisco (Gerie Street), Burlingame, Los Angeles etc. He returned to Nice, France where he passed away at a very mature age. Other troops worked in Argentina, Chile & Paraguay.

As communism reached China in 1949, the Russian Scout troops of Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies and Rovers emigrated once more.

An interesting historical sidelight, which is almost unknown to the international scout brotherhood, is that during this time tens of thousands of White Russian émigrés, along with Russian Scouts, were repatriated from Shanghai through the kindness of the United States and the American Marines.

The refugees were literally dumped on a remote island (Tobabao) near south Samar and near the landing place of General MacArthur. Due to the urgency of further evacuations, the Russian refugees were given tents, bully beef tins of food (many bloated & toxic) and left to fend for themselves in the jungles.

It was the National Organization of Russian Scouts that came to the rescue of the unfortunate refugees, many of whom were professionals and had no idea of how to erect a tent, let alone survive in such an enervating environment. A huge tent city was built by the scouts. Abandoned war equipment such as generators, pumps and jeeps were salvaged by the scouts from nearby islands and the colony lived on with the help then of the United Nations.

The National Organization of Russian Scouts comprised over 1500 members with famous Scoutmasters such as Alex Kniaseff (later to be Chief Russian Scout) Michael Plehanoff and Oleg Livitsky, leading a * DAILY * life of the numerous troops along with their respective leaders.

From the Philippines National Organization of Russian Scouts moved to Australia and also joined compatriots waiting in USA. The first troop in Australia was formed in 1949 and grew rapidly into many troops.

Annual camps numbered 250 participants of both genders and to this day NORS in Australia is very strong and is in the process in assisting in the rebirth of scouting in Russia.

It is interesting to note that during the Stalinist era, the dictator recognized the worth of the scout system and created the Pioneers and Komsomol Youth League and even adopted the motto "BE PREPARED." Of course God was removed being replaced by Lenin and the communist party.

Scouting began to re-emerge in Russia in 1991, with various factions competing for recognition. Some former pioneer leaders and civilians who wished to form scout groups for whatever reasons (hopefully scouting ideals) belong to the FSR. Church influence can be seen in the Orthodox Scouts who received assistance from National Organization of Russian Scouts in France & Australia. There is also ORUR, an émigré group which came into being in 1946. They have now moved their headquarters from New York to Moscow and are negotiating with the FSR (the Federation of Scouts of Russia). NORS is assisting in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ukraine and Belorussia.

The French branch of NORS, headed by Senior Scout Master Alexei Rutschowsky, is continually traveling to Russia and receiving contingents from Russia - the latest one of 120 scout from St. Russian Scouting. I understand they have started a Historical Scout Center in St. Petersburg, much of the material provided by the National Organization of Russian scouts in France and in Australia.

The international community in conjunction with WOSM has made great inroads into Russia with many activities taking place. Eventually it is hoped that Russian Scouting will come under the one National banner.

Scouting in Russia was illegal until 1990 when relaxation of Government restrictions meant that the Communist Pioneer Movement collapsed and other organizations were formed to fill the void. The World Organization of Scout Movements (WOSM) asked the UK Scout Association to assist the Scout Organizations in the Moscow and St. Petersburg Regions. Other National Scout Organizations are involved in helping other Regions. Boy Scouts of America are involved in the Regions to the East of the Urals and the French in Crimea.

There are presently more than 10 Scout Organizations in Russia, the largest of which are the FSR - Federation of Scouts in Russia and The Orthodox Scout Organization. The long-term aim is to get these organizations working together and to become members of the World Organization.

Since the re-birth of Scouting in Russia several associations have sprung up, sometimes because the leaders could not cooperate with the Federation of Scouts of Russia (the original association formed in 1991) but mostly because with communications so difficult in Russia they simply had not heard of the FSR.

This fragmentation of around 8 organizations is most evident in the western part of Russia, which is where the UK Scout Movement has been asked to concentrate its assistance. In Siberia where the Boy Scouts of America are working there appears to be less of a problem. So what is wrong with 8 different Scout Organizations in Russia? The simple answer is that the World Organization of the Scout Movement believes that unity is the key to Scouting in Russia and therefore the future work of the UK Scout Movement must be to try to achieve that unity.

A three country meeting was held in Geneva in March at the World Organization with representatives from the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts de France and the UK Scout Association to take stock of the progress since 1990. The meeting established that the following issues had to be addressed and resolved: Scouting in Russia needs to have an open non-confessional element in the organization to cater for the needs of the confessional Scouting, particularly Orthodox but also Roman Catholic, Muslim and Jewish to meet the aspirations of the twenty-one autonomous republics within the Russian Federation. The work of the Network is to support these aims and work alongside Headquarters and the various Russian Scouting Organizations to continue with the considerable progress made over the last few years and to achieve membership of WOSM for the Russian Scout Organizations under a united banner.

This is the oldest and probably the largest of the Associations operating in Russia. Most, but by no means all, of the Network's contacts are with Scout Groups, which are in the Federation. One area of the Federation is the Moscow Scout Union, which stretches over a huge area from the Belarus border to the Volga Region and the Urals. The contact is Vladimir Nesevrya, who is well known to many Scout visitors to Russia. The other areas of the Federation are St Petersburg Scouts (ASP) and the Siberian Association of Scouts (SiBAS). The President of the FSR is Arkady Nikitchenko from Omsk in Siberia. The Congress of the FSR will take place in the autumn when there are proposals to form a new North West Region incorporating part of St Petersburg and other major cities with Sasah Karasev as its President. The other Region formed out of the St Petersburg Area would have as its President Vladimir Vaililev who has previously been the Executive Secretary of the FSR, a position that is at present vacant. The International Commissioner is Eduard (Ed) Skorohodov in St Petersburg.

Although the FSR has cordial relationships with many representatives of the Orthodox Church and has many Scouts who are themselves, Orthodox, the Orthodox Church itself supports the FOS and has appointed Father Valentin to be its adviser to the Scout Organization. There is considerable potential for expansion of the Orthodox Scout Movement, which has a training center in Dubna 120 miles north of Moscow. Although the Orthodox Scouts have some contact with UK Scouts, a visit of a small number of Scouts took place in 1994 and also in 1995, the Organization would welcome further contacts. Its National Commissioner is Sergel Strotkin based in Moscow and there is also an International Commissioner Yura Chudovsky.

ORUR is supported by the St George's Pathfinders which is one of the émigré Russian Scouts Associations, which are not in membership of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. St. George's Pathfinders are strong in the United States of America. There is considerable cooperation between the FSR and ORUR as both organizations have a similar approach to the development of Scouting.

This is a relatively small group led by Slava Chemik who is the author of one of the first books on Scouting to be published in Russia after perestroika. Russia has, contacts in many countries including Scottish Venture Scouts. Not all of its contacts are with Scout Organizations who are in membership of WOSM.

There are quite a number of other small Scouts Organizations of which some of the relatively larger ones are: St. Vladimir Union of Russian Scouts - this is predominantly a Roman Catholic and is being supported by Scouts de France. The St. Vlaldimir organizations is sending a small group of Scouts to the Jamboree.

Union for the development of Scouting in Military Families - As the name suggests this is an organization specifically to provide Scouting for the children of servicemen whose life is often pretty grim in Russia. Scouting has much to offer these young people who will be represented at the Jamboree.

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