"In the Vitebsk Sky": An exhibition dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Vitebsk DOSAAF Aeroclub opened at the Regional Museum of Local Lore
"In the Vitebsk Sky" is the title of an exhibition dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the DOSAAF Vitebsk Aeroclub, which opened at the Regional Museum of Local Lore.
The oldest aeroclub in Belarus traces its history back to January 1, 1931, when, at the suggestion of Osoaviahim, the 1st Belarusian School for Training Civil Aviation Pilots was established. The building with classrooms and a cadet dormitory was located in the city, and the airfield was 15 km away, near the village of Kukovyachino. Two years later, the structure was transformed into an aeroclub, where glider pilots, flight instructors, and paratroopers from Minsk, Gomel, and other cities underwent training.
In 1938, the aeroclub switched to a two-year pilot training program and began training aviation technicians, engine mechanics, observers, and aerial gunners.
During the war years, fourteen graduates of the aeroclub were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: Alexander Gorovets, Egor Vasilevsky, Petr Grishchenko, Vasily Demidov, Stepan Zhukov, Vasily Knyazev, Petr Kondratyev, Petr Nikiforov, Nikolai Spiridenko, Vladimir Tyshevich, Petr Glazunov, Ivan Kaminsky, Andrey Peshchenko, Dmitry Lugovskoy.
From the late 1950s, the aeroclub began training helicopter pilots. Vitebsk athletes held leading positions in this sport as well. Championships of Belarus, the Soviet Union, and in the summer of 1978, the World Helicopter Sport Championship were held at the aeroclub, with teams from the USSR, Hungary, Poland, Germany, England, and the USA participating.
Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Dmitry Demidov emphasized that the Vitebsk aeroclub has bright heroic pages in its history and is currently maintaining a leading position in training cadets and athletes, fulfilling its tasks of fostering true patriots and defenders of the Fatherland.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by the nieces of the Hero of the Soviet Union Pyotr Grishchenko – Lyudmila, Liliya, and Valentina (née Grishchenko). Natives of Kukovyachino, they saw airplanes, helicopters, and parachute canopies in the sky over their native village from childhood. They admitted that the Vitebsk aeroclub, which their uncle Pyotr graduated from before the war, is very dear to them. He completed 360 combat missions, shot down 27 enemy aircraft and one observation balloon.
Pyotr Grishchenko was born into a large family. His father died in 1933, and his mother raised five sons and two daughters alone. When they grew up and gathered at their parents' home, Ustinya Markovna, leaning against the stove, proudly watched her children and listened to their conversations at the table.
Currently, one of the streets in Kukovyachino is named in honor of Pyotr Grishchenko. A memorial plaque has been installed on the house built by the authorities for the mother of the Hero of the Soviet Union after the war.
The exhibition organizers note that for the first time in history, the activities of the legendary aeroclub are presented in a museum space. This is a rare opportunity to touch the closed world of aviators. The exhibition will be open for three months.