St. George, a mythical saint from Cappadokia (in modern - day central Turkey), usually portrayed on a horse with his spear piercing a dragon, has been revered in Ukraine since the great prince of Kyiv, Volodymyr the Great, established Christianity as the official state religion of the Kyivan Empire in 988 AD. Churches and icons dedicated to St. George are very popular in Ukraine.
For the Ukrainians, St. George symbolizes purity of spirit, selfless devotion to the protection of their country and boundless courage and valor in the services of goodness and purity.
That’s why the Ukrainian Scouts adopted St. George as their patron saint. The date of St. George falls in May. The Ukrainian “Plastuny” celebrate both the St. George’s day and the Festival of Spring – the yearly beginning of the camping and hiking season.
weekend in May is usually selected for the “Sviato Vesny” (the Spring Festival). Scouts go out into nature, to their camping-sites, into woods, or mountains, where they set up their tents, hold sport events, build campfires, and various other activities.