Airports (entry)

Categories / City Services/Transportation/Airports, Air Transport
AIRPORTS (airdromes, terminal buildings). In 1911-14, in St. Petersburg’s first airport, Korpusnoy Airdrome was situated near present-day Novo-Izmailovsky Avenue (see Aviatorov Park). After 1917 the airdrome became a passenger airport for domestic flights. In February 1931, the construction of a new Leningrad airport started between Pulkovo Hills and the Okruzhnaya Railway near Kamenka village, 18 km from Leningrad (in 1932 it was called Shosseinaya after the nearby railway station). A hangar, runways and taxiway strips were built in May 1931. On 24 June 1932, the first two passengers and post flights from Moscow were made and regular air traffic began from Leningrad to Moscow, Petrozavodsk and Lodeynoe Pole. A three-storied airport building was constructed in 1937-41 by architects A.I. Gegello, N.N. Lansere, L.N. Rotinov, and F.P. Sheloumov and first opened in 1951. In the years of World War II (October, 1941 - January, 1944) the frontline lay in the vicinity of the airport. In September and October of 1941 Smolnoe Field Airdrome was built in the vicinity of Smolnaya village of Vsevolozhsky District. In December 1941, the 286th Air Force fighter wing moved there from Komendantsky Airdrome. In 1944-48 this airdrome served as the main airport of Leningrad (in 1945 was renamed Rzhevka Airdrome) serving flights to Moscow, towns of the Urals, the Far North and other regions. In 1947 the flying field near Pulkovo was restored, and on 15.2.1948 Shosseinaya Airport began operation. Since then Rzhevka airport was reserved mainly for special flights. The first flight of passenger turboprop plane IL-18 was made on 1 January 1959, and a passenger jet plane TU-104 first took off on 7 April1959. The airport served destinations in all the USSR Republics as well as some foreign countries. Since March 1964, there have been 60 airlines operating in Leningrad, connecting the city with nine European capitals. In 1973, the new terminal of Pulkovo 1 Airport was built by architect A.V. Zhuk, Z.M. Verzhbitsky, engineer S.M. Kuzmenko, N.V. Maximov at 18/4 Pilotov St. The second runway was being constructed concurrently. On 1 January 1974 the airport was named Pulkovo. TU-154 planes made their maiden voyage in February 1975. On 30 November 1983 IL-86 airbus made its maiden flight from Pulkovo to Mineralnye Vody. The old pre-war building of the airport became Pulkovo-2 terminal for international flights. Flights within Russia, CIS countries, and a number of chartered flights abroad are served by Pulkovo 1 terminal. The airline uses only Russian-made planes — 21 TU-154s, 11 ТU-134s, and 8 IL-86 airbuses. In 2002 Pulkovo 1 and Pulkovo 2 airports served flights to and from 40 towns of Russia and CIS countries, and over 80 cities of the world.

References: Карышев О. В. Ленинградский аэропорт. Л., 1971; Король В. В. Воздушная гавань Петербурга: Страницы истории авиапредприятия "Пулково". 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. СПб., 2002.

I. A. Bogdanov. Gegello Alexander Ivanovich
Kuzmenko S.M.
Lansere Natalia Nikolaevna
Maximov N.V.
Rotinov Leon Nikolaevich
Sheloumov F.P.
Verzhbitsky Jean Matveevich
Zhuk Alexander Vladimirovich
Novoizmailovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Pilotov St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 18/4
Карышев О. В. Ленинградский аэропорт. Л., 1971
Король В. В. Воздушная гавань Петербурга: Страницы истории авиапредприятия "Пулково". 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. СПб., 2002 Air Corps Aerodrome
Smolnoe, airdrome (see Airports)
Rzhevka Airport (see Airports)
Pulkovo 1 Airport (see Airports)
Pulkovo-2, an airport (see Airports)
1932
1973
1986