Boris Shapiro Feb 25, 2023:

Мне всё-таки кажется, что, если переводить "дружина", то лучше не тянуть в английский очередные ненужные drozhki и knout, а использовать troop. Мне оно чудится более архаичным, чем squad, но не до археологизма.

Turdimurod Rakhmanov Feb 24, 2023:

summer camp vs squad It is similar to the Scouting Organizations. The pioneers or the Scouts - devided into squads and larger squads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Pioneers_(Soviet_Union)
Its main grouping of members until 1942 was the "Young Pioneer detachment," which then typically consisted of children belonging to the same secondary school.[citation needed]

From 1942 to October 1990 (when the organization was broken up) the "squad" (отряд) was made up of children belonging to the same class within a school, while a school was referred to as a "Young Pioneer druzhina." Larger squads were split into sub-units called zveno (Звено, literally "chain link").

There was also an age-scale structure: children of 10–11 years were called Young Pioneers of the first stage; children of 11–12 years were Young Pioneers of the second stage; young adults of 9–15 years were Young Pioneers of the third stage. At age of 14, Young Pioneers could join the Komsomol, with a recommendation from their Young Pioneer group.

The main governing body was the Central Soviet of the Young Pioneer organization of the Soviet Union, which worked under the leadership of the main governing body of Komsomol.

IrinaN Feb 24, 2023:

@P.L.F. Persio Great find. Maybe Squad would be a better term here then. База in Russian, no matter what kind, implied by definition that it has some "physical roots", if I can put it this way. https://ria.ru/20070519/65737726.html "Завершилась перестройка Всесоюзной пионерской организации по так называемому школьному принципу: класс - отряд, школа - пионерская дружина". Дружины создавались на базе школы, лагеря, может быть, даже двора на один или несколько многоквартирных домов, если появлялся активный организатор и другой "базы" у него не было. In any case, Pugs - Yes, Base - No:-)

P.L.F. Persio Feb 24, 2023:

A reference: Hi Cristian, I found this: http://irkipedia.ru/content/baza_kurnosyh
К весне 1934 года книга была готова и издана десятитысячным тиражом. Назвали ее «База курносых. Пионеры о себе».
В то время пионерские дружины именовались базами. Эпитет же «курносые» в шутливой форме подчеркивал возраст авторов, их задорный, боевой характер.