Fairytales are great, but what about Young Pioneers? Lo and behold: my mother’s birthday bash!
My mom was born in 1958 and spent most of her life living in the Soviet Union. At the age of 10 like the rest of the kids she became a Young Pioneer, an organization similar to girl/boy scouts but with a more political agenda. Of course, being a 10 year old few understand what it actually means, aside from wearing a badge and a red scarf. When Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the pioneer tradition died with it. These days, you will never see a live pioneer on the street.
Guests dressed like Young Pioneers
In the spirit of kitsch and nostalgia, mom decided Pioneers to be the theme of her birthday soiree. Guests wore traditional uniforms, which is a white top, dark bottom, big white bows for girls and a red scarf around the neck for both genders. Dressed in traditional pioneer garb, we first went to a cafe and then proceeded to The Cloisters museum which happened to be having a Russian Children’s Festival that day. We were recognized immediately at the festival and literally mobbed by people wanting to take a picture of/with us!! Who knew this would be such a hit?
Me, Kat, mom and her friend Lena. The toy is a cartoon character named Cheburashka.
Pioneer salute (except elbow is supposed to be lower, I think). This looks like a real old-times Soviet photograph to me, found in a book or someone’s photo album…
Bad pioneers!
Ok, so maybe we weren’t squeaky-clean Pioneers. In fact, we smuggled in champagne & beer and sang obscene Russian songs! For the record, Pioneers are not supposed to indulge in smoking, drinking or sex, and even slow-dancing should be performed at a “pioneer distance” (real expression)!!!
See? Bad Pioneers – probably about to be expelled! And yes, Mark is wearing a boyscouts hat.
Campfire singing: another pioneer tradition. We sang ridiculous Soviet songs.
No bonfire, but does this Russian candy count?
Happy Birthday, mom! You are the bestest pioneer mother one could ever ask for – take my honest Pioneer word for it! :)
Your mom looks so much like you!
What a FANTASTIC way to celebrate your beautiful mom’s birthday! Looks like a good time was had by all.
Sounds like it was a lot of fun!
your mom is gorgeous!!! lolsister looks so different from the two of you but your all such a beautiful family!!
wooow that;s a brilliant idea! and you all look gorgeous. your mum actually looks much younger then she is!
Aww, you and Mark are so cute. It looks like you all had a great time!
Happy Birthday to your mom!
sooo cute.
your mother looks like she’s your age! what a beautiful lady.
What a lovely birthday bash. Your mom looks amazing for her age! Wow! And you look so much like her. Great photo’s
i have one of those Cheburashkas, and it sings a song
ive always wondered what it is singing because i dont speak russian! xx
you look just like your mom (:
Super cute! My mom used to be a pioneer back in the Soviet overtake of Cuba, I even have pictures of her in the little uniform and everything!
Your mum is almost the same age as mine, and she looks incredible! Good genes, eh? ;)
Amazing party – looks like you had great fun!
your mother is fucking beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your Mom is so beautiful! Now we see where you get it from, Doe ;)
x
What a cool meeting! Mark and you are SO CUTE! :D And your mom is very beautiful! I loved looking at this pictures
That was an amazing idea and it looks like you all had fun.
Your mom is incredibly beautiful and looks soo much younger than she is!
I LOVE the Cloisters, it sounds like it was so much fun! Tell her I say happy birthday! And you too really look a lot alike.
Your mom is in her fifties??? She’s aging so gracefully!
This is such a cute idea for a themed birthday party. It looks like it was a lot of fun.
WOW your mom is really young. She looks alot like you.
Your mom looks so young and pretty! And I love your bangs. :)))
That is so fun! Dressing up and going about looks like amazing fun. :D
Picnics for the mother and daughter for their birthdays. 8D
and HAHA!
obscene russian songs.
LOL. XD
You look like you had an awesome time and your mum looks so damn fine for her age.
I must say that your fringe freaked me out a little when I first saw it!
oh and sorry for the triple post but happy belated birthday to your mom! <3~
oh my gosh! my mom was a pioneer too and i have a bunch of school books from when i was a school girl in armenia that used a lot of soviet imagery. I moved to america in 1990 and brought the books back with me.
I’m an artists and in 2005, one of my shows was based around pioneers! Here’s one painting I did for the show: http://www.laluzdejesus.com/shows/previousshows/2005/bagayan/clubhouse.jpg I used birds to symbolize soviet government haha.
looks like such fun!! you look like ur mom a lot!!! awww, happy birthday mommy haha.
Oh to cute! Your mom is so adorable and I love the uniforms, dressing up makes anything 10x’s more fun.
This is such a clever, ingenious theme for a party! It reminds me of a scene in Goodbye, Lenin. I hope you guys had as much fun as it appears in the photos :D
Wow your mom is such a beauty!!
I love it! Looks and sounds like it was a fun birthday bash.
Wow, you’re mom is about the same age as mine, but she looks like she’s much younger, whereas my mom enjoys the sun about as much as most lizards.
You look so much like her, in a very good way.
You’re family is beautiful, I love the pictures, and the theme is awesome.
Happy birthday to your mother!
Your mum is AWESOME!! Can she adopt me? :D
Also were there Young Pioneers in China? I remember resting in our tour bus in Beijing and seeing a group of kidlets with very similar uniforms doing something next to the bus. It’s what inspired me to take up scouting!
That’s your mom?! Holy schnikes, she doesn’t LOOK 51!! I would’ve thought young 30s!
Okay Doe, you gotta do an article where you spill the family’s ‘fountain of youth’ secrets!!!!
Damn your mum looks good for her age!!
Seeing how you look so much like her that’s got to be a really good thing for you.
So fun and creative streaks run in the family! I love these pics. What a cool mom!
xoxo, SarahJayne @ Knockout Vintage Clothing
The pictures are wonderful. The salute one does look authentic!! The glass were a nice touch doe, and I loved your hubbies gloves!!
Wonderful idea and pictures. It looks like everyone had a great time.
Where did you get your fringe? (I am assuming you did not suddenly get bangs, but maybe you did)
Wow, your mom is beautiful.
What a neat party idea!
p.s. Do you have a picture that has your shoes in it? There is a tiny peek of them in the one where Mark holding you, and they look like they are going to be quite cute. I know this isn’t the focus of the entry, but I really love getting the full effects of your outfits :]
So cute! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun.
And happy birthday to your mum!
aww, I remember Cheburashka! It was on tv in Poland when I was very very little.
Your Mom looks incredibly young, really. I actually thought that maybe it’s your cousin or someone like that, you know, someone around your age. Amazing! Such a beautiful lady.
happy birthday Mrs “Doe’s Mom”!!! :D the pictures are worderful and the theme of course is great!!! We also learned a thing for the Soviet Union today! :D Your mom looks so young and with a lively personality!!!It must run in the family,huh?!!
Hilarious! Your mum looks so young.
My mum is from the same generation but is allergic to Pioneers and everything that comes along with the whole Soviet (Sovki as she calls it) bouquet.
It looks like you guys had awesome fun.
re: Jai
I think the shoes are the same as these:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/limecrime/outfits/fairybench.jpg
Looks like fun :)
the uniforms are sooo cute! and your mum looks exactly like an older version of you! and i really love the kissing photo of you and mark, you’re just a dreamcouple!
tears… this post made me miss my mom more than the usual (and that’s sayin a lot). she passed away last year, 11 days before her birthday. there’s nothing i wouldn’t give just to get to another day with her and celebrate her birthday.
I can certainly see where your looks come from! Your mom is quite the looker and you definitely favor her! Adorable!
such pretty pics!
you and ur mom look so much alike! very beautiful!
When I saw the first picture (before having read anything), my first reaction was definitely “WHY would she go BLONDE?” And then I realized that you still had your lovely red hair and your mum just looks stunningly young.
Good job with the temporary (I am assuming? I mean, the color difference…) bangs, too. You should see what you can do wearing them Bettie Page-style sometime!