Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Von Schmidt-Pauli.
Hi Tamara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are Irina Safonov, Daria Dzhalalova, and I, Tamara von Schmidt-Pauli, the founders of Игра.Unplugged, also known as Russian Camp MN.
Our story began at the Russian Educational Center of Minnesota, where we met while volunteering and working with children and families in the local Russian-speaking community. Irina and Daria had created a Russian-language day camp where children learned through games, field trips, theater, cooking, and outdoor adventures. The friendships that grew out of those summers surprised all of us. Families kept returning, children stayed connected throughout the year, and a real community began to form.
Then one summer a camper asked a simple question:
“Why don’t we have a sleep-away camp?”
That question changed everything.
At the time, I was growing my translation business, teaching Russian, and raising two young daughters. I also carried vivid memories of the language immersion camps where I had worked in St. Petersburg, Russia, the city where I grew up and attended school. Those camps weren’t just places to learn a language. They were entire worlds that came to life for a few magical weeks. The friendships, adventures, and memories stayed with me long after camp ended. When Irina and Daria shared their dream of creating an overnight camp, I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it.
Together, we built the camp we wished our own children could attend.
The name Игра.Unplugged reflects that idea. “Игра” means “play” in Russian. We believe that through play children learn, build friendships, gain confidence, solve problems, and discover who they are. “Unplugged” reflects our desire to create a place where children can step away from screens and into real adventures, real friendships, and real human connection.
From the beginning, we wanted camp to feel like entering another world. Every session is built around an immersive story. Over the years, our campers have searched for emeralds in the Emerald City, solved mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes, traveled with Buratino, sailed with pirates, journeyed across the Trans-Siberian Railway, and followed the White Rabbit into Wonderland. We don’t simply organize those stories. We become part of them. The founders, counselors, and campers all step into character and spend the week living the adventure together.
Our first overnight session was based on Buratino, the beloved Russian version of Pinocchio. Irina played Buratino, I became Malvina, the blue-haired, blue-eyed girl who tries to teach him good manners, and Daria became the clever fox Lisa Alisa. We stayed in character throughout the entire week, speaking and behaving exactly as our characters would. Since then, we have become queens, rabbits, detectives, villains, wizards, pirates, and countless other characters.
Last year, we celebrated our 30th camp session. Looking around, we realized that many of the children who once attended camp are now returning as leaders and counselors. Our own children have spent years living these stories with us and are now helping create them for the next generation.
What started as a small camp has become a community. Families return year after year. Campers stay connected long after summer ends. New traditions emerge, inside jokes become part of camp history, and each new session adds another chapter to a story that has been unfolding for more than a decade.
Looking back, I think what makes me most proud is that what started as a small idea among friends became something much larger than ourselves. We set out to create unforgettable summers for our own children, and along the way we created a place where hundreds of children and families have built friendships, discovered confidence, and made memories that last far beyond a single week of camp.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but in many ways that feels appropriate because our camp itself is built around adventures, challenges, and problem-solving.
One of the biggest challenges has simply been time. Every camp session is a completely new immersive world. We don’t take a theme off the shelf and reuse it. We write stories, create characters, design games, develop workshops, build props, decorate spaces, train staff, and think through hundreds of details that campers may never even notice. The creative process is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do, but it also requires countless hours of planning long before the first camper arrives.
Another challenge was learning everything that comes with running a camp. None of us expected to become experts in camp food, for example. Over the years, we have tested menus, refined recipes, and learned how to feed large groups of children while balancing familiar favorites with traditional Slavic dishes. We wanted campers to look forward to meals while also experiencing foods many of us grew up with. Finding that balance took a lot of experimentation, and today our food has become one of the things campers talk about long after camp ends.
Like many organizations, we were also deeply affected by the pandemic. We had to cancel one session and completely rethink how camp operated. We restructured schedules, staggered activities and meals, replaced large all-camp events with smaller team-based experiences, and redesigned many traditions to fit health guidelines. It was an enormous amount of work, but it also reminded us how important camp was to our community. Families wanted their children to have a place where they could reconnect with friends, play, and experience a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.
Looking back, every challenge has forced us to become more creative and more adaptable. In many ways, running the camp has been its own adventure. Just like our campers, we’ve spent years learning, improvising, solving problems, and discovering things we never expected along the way.
We’ve been impressed with Russian Camp MN, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At its core, Игра.Unplugged, also known as Russian Camp MN, is an immersive storytelling camp.
Many camps offer activities. We start with a story.
Every session is built around a completely new world with its own characters, challenges, mysteries, traditions, and goals. Campers might find themselves searching for emeralds in the Emerald City, solving mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes, traveling across the Trans-Siberian Railway, or helping beloved literary characters overcome obstacles. The story becomes the framework that ties together everything else, from games and workshops to evening events and team challenges.
What makes us unique is that the adults become part of the experience as well. Counselors and founders step into character and help bring the world to life. For one week, camp feels less like a program and more like a shared adventure.
We are also deeply committed to creating a welcoming environment for children of all language backgrounds. Some campers arrive speaking Russian fluently, while others know only a few words or none at all. Because language is woven naturally into games, friendships, and activities, children gain confidence without feeling like they are sitting in a classroom.
Over the years, we have grown far beyond a single summer camp. Today, Russian Camp MN includes overnight camps, day camps, youth leadership programs, family events, theater productions, and community celebrations. Last year we celebrated our 30th camp session, a milestone that reminded us how many families have been part of this journey.
What I am most proud of is the community that has formed around the camp. Families return year after year. Campers stay connected long after summer ends. Some of the children who once attended camp are now returning as leaders and counselors. Watching former campers help create the experience for younger generations is incredibly rewarding.
If there is one thing I hope people understand about our organization, it is that we are not simply teaching a language or running a camp. We are creating a space where children can build friendships, gain confidence, use their imagination, and become part of a story that they will remember long after the summer is over.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that the best experiences are created with people, not for them.
At the end of every camp season, we ask campers what themes they would like to see next year, what their favorite moments were, and what they would change or improve. We read every response once the summer is over, and those ideas help guide many of our decisions. Some of our most successful traditions and themes have come directly from campers themselves.
That approach reflects something I often tell both my students and our campers: we co-create our experience together. Whether I’m teaching in a college classroom or running a camp, I don’t see learning and community as something delivered from the top down. The most meaningful experiences happen when everyone has a voice and feels invested in what they are creating.
One example is our overnight camp itself. The idea didn’t come from the founders. It came from a camper who asked, “Why don’t we have a sleep-away camp?” That simple question helped shape the future of our organization.
More than thirty camp sessions later, we are still learning from our campers, counselors, leaders, and families.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RussianCampMN.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igra.unplugged/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/igraunplugged
