As many of us have come to learn, Russia and North Korea have gotten uncomfortably close in the past few weeks. Yet, it was still a surprise to many that young Russians are entering the heavily restricted Republic of North Korea now, for summer camp of all things.

The ‘Solidarity with North Korea’ group on VKontakte, Russia’s Facebook equivalent, currently offers the opportunity to attend Songdowon International Children’s Camp in Wonsan, on North Korea’s east coast. About $500 covers all expenses for a 15-day trip.

According to CNN, 100 Russian nationals were the first tour group allowed to visit North Korea earlier this year since the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, the largest source of inbound tourists to North Korea wasn’t Russia—it was China. This shows that the relationship between the two countries is deepening, culminating in a mutual defence treaty and commitment to strengthening military ties.

The camp hosted children from various countries, including Laos, Nigeria, Tanzania and China. However, interactions with North Korean kids were limited to the final day, a deliberate move to prevent any exchange of real experiences.

Of course, camps like these offer typical summer activities like beach outings and sandcastle-building competitions. However, they also include stranger rituals. For instance, campers were required to wake up at 6 am and clean the statues of former North Korean leaders, such as Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, even though professionals were already maintaining these monuments.

For lunch and dinner, they were served soup, rice and potatoes.

Another one of the more bizarre activities on offer was a computer game where players, as a hamster in a tank, had the opportunity to destroy the White House. You know, the one currently located in Washington D.C. that is housing the American president, aka leader of the Free World and a key adversary for both these countries.

When the campers were openly asked who they were shooting, they responded, “Our sworn enemy, Americans.” After a CNN journalist asked: “What if I told you I’m an American? Do you want to shoot me too?” Without hesitation, the young pupils replied: “Yes.” After reassuring the youngsters he was a “good American,” they decided he could live. A strange encounter to say the least.

“This is the paradox of North Korea. People were usually friendly and polite, even as they told me the United States should ‘drown in a sea of fire,’” reporter Will Ripley concluded.

When Ripley interviewed a Russian teen about his impressions of the camp, the teen replied: “Many things seemed fake, especially the science and innovation buildings. They were not convincing, even for a kid. It wasn’t a totally awful experience. I was mostly just bored. Apart from the lack of internet, it felt like any basic Russian camp for children.”

When Russian officials were quizzed about these camps, they explained that these were established to build respect for the communist ideology and cultivate Russia’s standing among North Korea’s youth. Children are the future, as we all know.