In 1905, the first summer children's camp-commune for the children of workers was opened in Shchyolkovo, on the left bank of the Klyazma River. It was organized by the famous Russian educator Stanislav Teofilovich Shatsky and architect Alexander Ustinovich Zelenko. This camp was the first to implement ideas of labor education, children's self-governance, and meeting the interests of children, which were typically ignored in traditional schools.

In 1906, Shatsky and Zelenko founded the 'Settlement' society in Moscow, aimed at creating a system of institutions that included a kindergarten, primary school, children's club, and workshops where children would learn crafts and receive general education.

In the summer of 1907, about eighty children rested in shifts at the colony near Shchyolkovo. The management and maintenance of the colony were mainly carried out by the children themselves. The colony's finances were overseen by a fifteen-year-old girl elected as treasurer, who kept all the records. A library and reading room were also organized in the colony. However, in 1908, the 'Settlement' society was shut down by the police for 'propagating socialism among children,' and Shatsky was arrested.