Youth and children's public associations in the Russian Federation in 1990-2010

In the Soviet period, the Communist Party paid great attention to the education of children and youth through a pioneer organization and the Komsomol. During the period of perestroika, there was a need to revise educational work. The collapse of the USSR, the emergence of market relations, democratization, social differentiation of society, the destruction of the system of additional education identified the main issue - the education of children and youth in the prevailing socio-economic conditions. Youth and children’s public associations are being created in the country. Their distinctive features from the organizations of the Soviet period were voluntary entry into the organization (in the USSR participation in public organizations was always formally voluntary), a variety of areas, forms and contents of activity. The paper identifies the main reasons that adversely affected their development and activities: financial, economic, legal, organizational. The state policy on supporting public associations by executive authorities in the field of youth policy and its impact on the development of the youth movement in the country are analyzed. Public associations of children and youth played an important role in the formation of youth policy, self-realization, education of youth, development of its initiative.