I've visited Sovetskaya Gavan, a town on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, twice. My first visit left a bitter memory. As I walked down a quiet street, I witnessed a distressing sight: two young children, dirty and dressed in rags, rummaging through trash cans in search of food. This "landscape" was etched into my memory with painful clarity...

A few years later, I had another chance to visit Sovgavan'ya, this time on editorial business. In the regional youth committee, I heard a story about the interdistrict youth aviation club in Sovgavan'ya, which had been winning prizes for its military-patriotic education in the Khabarovsk region for three years in a row. At that moment, I couldn't help but think about the sad picture of street children I had seen earlier. It didn't seem to fit well with what I had just heard. Perhaps this is why I felt compelled to visit the club and meet its leaders.

The airfield, where the club's headquarters were located, seemed to breathe a warm haze that emanated from its paving stones. The summer sun, not so benevolent in these harsh regions, was now generously spreading its rays everywhere. They reflected on the faces of the children, who were huddled together in a close-knit group around a sturdy, bronzed man. With their parachutes strapped to their backs, the teenagers resembled small elephants, just as clumsy and round. "And pay attention," I heard snatches of conversation, " after opening the dome, first visually determine the space, find a ground landmark, and only then begin to control the parachute." Seizing a moment when the supervisor was interrupted, I approached him. "Gennady Shiberekov, head of the inter-district club," the stocky man introduced himself. The handshake was firm and firm. His eyes are clear, confident, and full of energy. "Yes, the kids will follow him anywhere," I thought.

- Sorry, we're having a briefing before the jump, and we don't have much time. But if you want, you can come with us on the plane! You can watch everything in real time, and we can talk...

I must admit that I hadn't expected such a turn of events. However, as I looked into the eager eyes of the two dozen children, I realized that delaying my response would disrupt the fragile connection we had established. Before I could utter a positive response, Gennady commanded,

"That's it. Now, everyone quickly into the An-2!'

I should mention right away that I was unable to have the planned conversation with Shiberikov either on board or during my subsequent visits to the club. However, I was able to observe Gennady in action and ask questions of others. As a result, the overall picture of the club's history and its current state was pieced together from various sources. It is up to the reader to judge the outcome.

... Gennady had a passion for organizing work even before he joined the army, and his strong Siberian character helped him overcome countless challenges. After graduating from high school, he completed a teacher training program, and during his military service, he attended a school for junior aviation specialists. His first military specialty was as a parachute instructor. However, he realized during his service that he lacked the necessary knowledge to excel in this field. This realization led him to pursue a goal of attending an ensign school. Finally, he served in a fighter aviation regiment as a "chief parachutist."

The regiment's strict routine, as we know, leaves little time for leisure activities. However, even back then, Shiberikov began to rally the garrison's children around him. With the permission of the command, he introduced the local children to aviation technology, parachuting, and survival skills in extreme situations. In 1988-1989, he organized a club with the local DOSAAF and conducted their first parachute jumps.

All would be fine. Yes only the country entered the "bad weather" with all the consequences that follow. In the regiment began to reduce, and then its complete disbandment. More - more. Fuel became a sharp shortage in the area. The work of the section was suspended indefinitely. Gennady after dismissal, to feed the family, had to look for at least some work. Turned up a place... in the restaurant. But after a little work, he realized that this is not for him. It was painful to think about the local kids hanging around in the evenings, doing nothing and having no worries. My soul was in turmoil, searching for a way out of what seemed like a dead-end situation. The only bright feeling that kept me from giving up was my passion for skydiving and jumping. It kept me up at night, forcing me to find a solution. One day, I decided to gather with some enthusiastic former students and try to revive the club.

The most difficult, but probably also the most joyful part of the club's revival began. We visited dozens of government offices. Thankfully, there were people in the regional and district administrations who understood the situation.

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It so happened that the previously disbanded aviation regiment, where the youth association had found shelter, had to hand over all its technical facilities and the runway by August 1, 1994. Shiberikov and his team did the seemingly impossible - they defended their right to be the legal successors of the military pilots. A remarkable line appeared in the history of the club's formation - the official documentation for its existence and the symbolic key to the airfield were received by the young people on August 1 from the hands of the aviators. This date marks the birth of the interdistrict youth aviation club.

The result of all the bureaucratic red tape and approvals was quite specific. The club, which was still a parachute club, was operating at full capacity. Gennady Shiberikov himself performed the first flights on a rented aircraft (having received the necessary training and approval to fly the An-2). After a while, the club began to attract its first разрядников.

Nine- and ten-year-old children began to come to the airfield and ask to join the club. Gennady was faced with the question of what to do with them. Where could he put their energy? It was necessary to go beyond the scope of the parachute section and try to find other areas of activity for the club. They were guided by children's psychology. What do children need? Above all, they need interesting and organized activities with a touch of romance and uniqueness. This led to the idea of organizing a summer camp for children, where teenagers could engage in basic military training, sports, and maritime activities.

One of the empty buildings of the Sovgavansky district of the Pacific Fleet base was given to Shiberekov residents without much delay. "It's a good thing," the military reasoned, signing the necessary papers for such purposes. In the two-story mansion, the children equipped sleeping quarters, a dining room, and a utility room on their own. An obstacle course and a sports town were built nearby in the forest.

The range of camp fees of the Sokol group (as its leaders called it) has become diverse. In one platoon, the emphasis was on the aviation aspect, in the second - on tourism, survival methods and service dog breeding, in the third-most of the training time was devoted to marine topics. If classes with parachutists were plentiful, then at first the cabin boys were limited to excursions to one of the nearby Pacific Fleet bases, where they thoroughly studied the basics of maritime affairs on warships. On the boats they made their first trips to the sea, learned how to tie knots, and got acquainted with the basics of navigation. Apparently. the seriousness and determination of the guys to the sciences they studied prompted the military leadership to transfer two decommissioned auxiliary boats to the club. The local repair plant and the naval base of the village of Zavety Ilyich helped with spare parts and restoration. It took about a month to" revive " the vessels and paint them. The young sailors worked out their next watch already at sea.

As Gennady Shiberykov expanded the club's activities, he realized that working with young children required individuals with a deep understanding of child psychology, rather than just a formal education. Among the "veterans" of the first group, he identified several individuals who he believed had the potential to become leaders. When the "Sokol" group was formed, the need for senior children's teams became obsolete. This is how the young married couple Alexander and Elena Ryabkov became platoon commanders, and later Elena Vereshchenskaya, a graduate of the Khabarovsk Institute of Culture, became a teacher-instructor.

The Shiberikovites, as they called themselves, held their heads high. According to Gennady, many of the boys and girls didn't stop there after graduating from the club. Evgeny Melnichuk, a graduate of the youth organization, went on to attend military school and now serves as an officer. His brother, Denis, enrolled in a border institute. Nikolai Medvedev, after completing flight school, joined the Air Force. Sasha Karezin joined the Special Forces of the Airborne Troops. His reputation is nothing but positive. Many of the club's graduates have admitted that their strong character and willingness to overcome challenges helped them form the club and its leader.

... Among the "falcons," I noticed a young boy who looked about eleven years old. At the head of the platoon, he was running through the obstacle course like a madman, charging everyone with his energy. "This is our youngest club skydiver," Elena Ryabkova, the platoon leader, told me. "He recently opened his individual account with his first tandem jump." "What's his name?" I asked. "Andrey Shiberikov," came the reply. Well, if there's continuity, it's serious and long-lasting.

I also saw the guys I'd met at the dumpsters at the club. I didn't recognize them right away. Dressed in neat, well-fitting field uniforms, they marched across the concrete plaza, their hands raised to their heads in perfect salute.

Teenagers were learning the military salute...

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