Preface: There is no need to explain what history is as such, since it is...
Khodynskoye Pole is one of the most chaotically built-up areas of Moscow, which has been undergoing a large-scale transformation in the last decade. In 2003, the Frunze Central Airfield on Khodynka was finally closed, and its airfield fell under new construction. In addition to residential buildings, the Megasport ice sports palace, one of the largest shopping centers in Russia, Aviapark, whose façade is longer than Red Square, and a new one, appeared in the area.
The Village decided to find out what was left of the former Khodynsky airfield in 2016. Almost nothing: construction of the CSKA station is underway on the field from the launch site of the second ring of the Moscow metro and work has begun on a new park, which will become an architectural center and a connecting link for the entire area.
On the picture: view of the eastern part of Khodynsky Field and the construction of the CSKA metro station
Cost of construction of the first stage of the TPK
83,670,000,000 rubles
In December 2016, construction of the first section of the Third Interchange Circuit is due to be completed - another ring line of the Moscow metro, which will relieve congestion at the central subway stations. On a stretch of more than ten kilometers, five stations will appear: Delovoy Tsentr, Shelepikha, Khoroshevskaya, CSKA and Petrovsky Park. Traffic on the new line will begin next year.
According to the plan, the TPK ring should be closed by 2020. The 58-kilometer-long route will have 28 stations. The highway budget will exceed 300 billion rubles.
The cost of building a park on Khodynskoye Field
500,000,000 rubles
The park, which is being created by the Moscow architectural bureau Kleinewelt Architekten, will be completed by 2018. It is planned that the park will house and, designed by the Irish Heneghan Peng Architects.
Central Airfield named after M. V. Frunze (in 1923-1926 - Central Airfield named after L. D. Trotsky, also Khodynsky Airfield) is a former airfield in Moscow. It was located on the Khodynka field, from where it got its colloquial name - “Khodynka”. Closed in 2003. It was used as a test airfield for experimental aviation and a military airfield. The first Moscow airport was located here. Currently, the territory is given over to residential and commercial development.
The founding date of the airfield was June 17, 1910, when the Aeronautics Society announced a positive decision by the headquarters of the Moscow Military District to allocate land on the territory of Khodynskoye Field for an airfield. The construction of the airfield was carried out mainly through donations from aviation enthusiasts. A runway and six small airplane hangars were built. The official opening took place on October 3, 1910 in the presence of military authorities and many Russian aviators. The first takeoff from the airfield was made by M. F. De Campo-Scipio. On May 3, 1922, the first international air flights in the history of Russia began to operate from the Central Aerodrome on the route Moscow - Königsberg - Berlin. On July 15, 1923, the first regular domestic passenger flights Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod began. The 420 km journey was covered in 2.5 hours. The flights were carried out on a four-seat monoplane AK-1. Outstanding Russian pilots P. N. Nesterov, S. I. Utochkin, V. Kokkinaki and V. P. Chkalov made their flights at the airfield. By order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 2456 of November 3, 1923, signed by E. M. Sklyansky, the Central Airfield was named after L. D. Trotsky. On September 21, 1920, by Order of the Revolutionary Military Council No. 1903, a scientific experimental airfield (NOA) of the Main Air Force of the Republic was created here - the country's first research and testing in the field of military aircraft. On October 24, 1924, the PLA at the Main Directorate of the RKKVF was transformed into the Scientific and Experimental Airfield of the USSR Air Force. Due to the increased volume of work, on October 26, 1926, the Experimental Airfield was transformed into the Scientific Testing Institute of the Red Army Air Force. In 1932, the Air Force Research Institute (now GLITs Air Force) was relocated to the Chkalovsky airfield near the city of Shchelkovo, Moscow region. In November 1931, the first air terminal building in the USSR was opened at the Central Aerodrome. In 1936-1937, the airfield was reconstructed, a concrete runway was built (during the reconstruction period, flights were operated from the new Moscow Bykovo airport, and all test flights were carried out from the NKTP airfield in the village of Podlipki. In 1938, a metro line with the same name was connected to the airport station. Near the airfield, the leading aviation design bureaus were built: Sukhoi, Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Yakovlev and their aircraft factories. After the Great Patriotic War, three aircraft manufacturing enterprises remained near the airfield (and are located here to this day): plant No. 30 (now the Production Center named after. P. A. Voronin RSK "MiG"), plant No. 51 (now OJSC "Sukhoi Company"), plant...
Odd side.
It’s impossible to see the avenue looking so romantic today, but once upon a time there were benches on this alley, lovers sat, children rode bicycles, and my friends and I sometimes returned home on foot from the center in good weather.
Oh, how long ago it was. Anyway. We continue our virtual journey along the avenue. For clarity, the same map again. 
A wonderful photograph of Khodynsky Field and Petrovsky Park, taken from an airplane, has survived. This photo is from the Air and Space Museum and is dated 1910. 
The following panoramic photo shows a section of the St. Petersburg Highway from the Petrovsky Palace to modern Seregina Street, formerly Pegovsky Lane. On the PastView website this photo is dated 1930. Let's look at this photo from right to left. The building on the far right is an air terminal and control tower from the 1920s. In the 1930s, the headquarters for long-distance flights was located here. 
It has survived to this day, although it has changed its appearance several times.
House No. 37k10. This is how we see it in the 1924 film “Cigarette Box from Mosselprom,” when an American businessman flies to Moscow, his plane lands on Khodynskoye Field and we see the air terminal building. Before the construction of this building in the early 1920s, the pavilion of the Moscow Aeronautics Society (below) was used as an air terminal. The station function “fell” on it simply because it was closest to the main entrance to the airfield. 
Among the first passengers of this airport were also Sergei Yesenin and Isadora Duncan. In 1923, a similar trip was made Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lilya Brik.
In the 1947 photo, the building is on the left, with large glass windows on the second floor and with a turret on the roof, and in the center is the entrance gate to the airfield. 
In the 1960s, it was a helicopter station for flights to Moscow airports. This is how I remember this house. 
Without significant changes, the building stood in its place for 90 years, until the spring of this year, when its current owners, merchants, dismantled the wooden upper floors and built a brick remodel in their place. That is, only the brick first floor remained authentic. And now it stands abandoned and no one needs it, and it is difficult to recognize it. 
Further on, in a panoramic photo from 1930, a chain of hangars is visible; their exact affiliation is difficult to restore, but according to the memoirs of the aircraft designer Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev it was as follows: “There were several wooden hangars along the edge of the airfield. One hangar belonged to our flight squad, the next one belonged to the Soviet-German company Deruluft. Then there were hangars where P-1 aircraft were assembled, produced by the former Moscow bicycle factory Dux, and more further on is the hangar of the Moscow School of Military Pilots... Flights at the airfield were rare: there were few planes, and they flew only in good weather.”
A long hangar, presumably a pilot school, is visible on the right in the 1921 photo behind the Ilya Muromets aircraft. 
I'll tell you a little about these planes. Under this name in 1913 - 1918. Several series of four-engine all-wood biplanes were produced, developed under the leadership of I. I. Sikorsky at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant.
"Ilya Muromets" became the world's first passenger aircraft. For the first time in the history of aviation, it was equipped with a comfortable cabin, sleeping rooms and even a bathroom with toilet, separate from the cabin. It had heating (using engine exhaust gases) and electric lighting. In addition, it had a promenade deck on the roof of the cabin, where passengers could go out while moving.
These aircraft took an active part in the First World War and made more than 400 combat missions.
After the revolution, they were used for postal and passenger flights from Moscow to Kharkov. The last time they took to the air was in 1923.
But let’s return to our buildings, again look at the panoramic photograph of 1930. Next, one of the hangars of the Dux company is visible on the characteristic roof. Let me remind you that according to the memoirs of the pilot Rossinsky, this company was one of the first to set up its hangars on Khodynskoye Field, since they were necessary for the production of airplanes, which were later tested here; it owned 4 hangars. Photo 1917 
The tower of the Central Air Navigation Station is visible behind it. Photo 1923 
True, I don’t understand why the arrow on the PastView website points towards the modern Aerostar Hotel, tell me, who knows.
House No. 37k9- the modern building of the Aerostar Hotel stands in the depths of the avenue; it was built in the 70s of the last century for the 1980 Olympics by the architect A.D. Meyerson, and in the early 90s it was completely reconstructed. 
House No. 37k1 and k2
- further, closer to the avenue, on this section there are now two buildings connected by a passage - this is Rostransnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Transport, no. 37.k1), the building formerly belonged to the USSR MGA, and Rosaviation (Federal Air Transport Agency, respectively, d.37 k2). 
Go ahead. An old photograph from 1915 - 1917 shows the next section of the old airfield. 
On the right you can see the tower of the Central Air Navigation Station, in the center of the hangar, and on the left the pavilion of the Imperial Moscow Aeronautical Society (I.M.O.V.). In 1911, under I.M.o.v. The Moscow Aviation School was organized, where military pilots and mechanics were trained, pilots were retrained (mastering new types of aircraft), and experimental work and tests of aircraft and their weapons were carried out.
School building m.o.v. Photo 1915-1917 
The society was founded in 1910. One of its founders was Professor N. E. Zhukovsky. In the work of M. o. V. scientists and inventors took part. M. o. V. had its own airfield on Khodynskoye Field. There was a M.O.V. pavilion on the field, it was located opposite the modern Pilot Nesterov Street, to the left of the gate, and the gate itself was located just opposite this street. The street got its name in honor of the pilot P. N. Nesterov, the author of the famous “Nesterov loop”, who flew on a Moran plane specially built for him. Pre-war newspapers in July 1914 reported that “Staff Captain Nesterov made several flights on a new device, during which he rose to a height of up to 1000 meters, planning and making a spiral descent.” A month later he would die in an air battle, using a ram for the first time.
The first entrance gate looked like this. 
The next gate was built at the expense of industrialist V.V. Prokhorov. I would like to write a few words about this man, although there is little reliable information about him.
Vasily Vasilievich Prokhorov, a hereditary honorary citizen, was from the family of textile entrepreneurs Prokhorov (the exact relationship could not be established), presumably graduated from I.M.T.U. in 1912 according to special mechanical engineer. Having married Vera Grigorievna Zimina, he received a huge fortune, her father is Grigory Ivanovich Zimin from the famous Orekhovo-Zuev textile dynasty, and her mother Lyudmila Vikulovna is from the family of Morozov merchants. At least two of his children are known - daughter Vera (1908 - 1982) and son Boris (1904 - 1928).
Prokhorov was one of the first aviators in Russia. In 1910, he went to France to study aviation, but was seriously injured during flights to Pau. Returning to Russia, in 1913 Prokhorov received a pilot's diploma. He also became a “co-author” of a number of All-Russian records, flying as a passenger with Gaber-Vlynsky. He also has priority in the practical use of the aircraft as a vehicle. Once, V. Prokhorov was going to go from his estate to the theater for a ballet, but the horses arrived late and he was late for the train. Without thinking twice, Prokhorov, in a tailcoat and shirtfront, ordered his Moran to be brought out, and in a tailcoat, he sat down in the pilot’s seat and flew to Moscow. He arrived at Khodynka 20 minutes before the train arrived at the station, and calmly left the airfield for the theater.
The landmark of the Khodynka airfield was the luxurious Prokhorovsky pavilion with a hangar. A statue of Icarus with outstretched wings towered above the pavilion, and in the corners stood statues of Greek goddesses - patrons of the arts; under the visor on the facade there was a philosophical inscription: “Vers les nouveaux de la vie etemele!” (“To new shores of eternal life!”). The glass pavilion was located directly on the roof of the hangar. It was covered with carpets and decorated with paintings. 
Famous theater figures were considered honorary visitors to the pavilion. V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko And K.S.Stanislavsky. The Moran was stored in the hangar; on the wings below there was a huge inscription “Prokhorov”. He flew often and suffered accidents just as often. Despite this, on all, without exception, “Reports on the delivery of airplanes in flight” for 1917 - early 1918. in the column “Director of the airfield” is Prokhorov’s signature, supported by a personal stamp: “Pilot-engineer for the delivery of airplanes from the Dux Joint Stock Company factory to the military department.” After 1917, when Prokhorov’s hangar was nationalized, he often visited the airfield and observed the flights. Later, when the airfield was closed, he was often seen on the linden alley of Leningradsky Prospect, from where he watched the flights.
These gates in the Art Nouveau style were built according to the design of the architect Lev Kekushev, whose son in the future would himself become a famous aviator. 
Opposite the pavilion of the ballooning society there was a wooden building for the officers' meeting. Above it, as a rule, hung a canvas cone - an indicator of the direction of the wind and a ball or flag, orange or blue, indicating permission or prohibition of flights. To the right were the workshops and utility rooms of the aviation school and a number of hangars where the school's and private owners' aircraft were stored.
View towards Sokol from the airport gate. Photo 1915 - 1917 
Gradually, flights became one of the city's entertainments, and fans of them used to spend the night at the Khodynsky airfield in order to be in time for the start of flights. Many flights then ended tragically - according to tradition, the comrades of the deceased pilots sowed red poppies at the crash sites, and from above the entire Khodynskoye field was covered with red circles.
View of the airfield to the right and left of the gate. Photo 1913 
At the end of 1917, the activities of the Aeronautics Society ceased, the airfield was named Central Airfield named after L.D. Trotsky, and since 1926 named after M.V. Frunze.
This is what the central entrance looked like after the revolution.
In his book “The Edge of Moscow,” Lev Kolodny writes: “The Khodynka airfield in the first years of October saw many meetings, rallies, and parades. On May Day 1918, it hosted a parade of military units of the Moscow garrison, as well as an air parade... From here in 1923 "The Prombank plane left for Nizhny Novgorod, which began passenger transportation in our country. From here cars took off on the first international line Moscow - Koenigsberg. Khodynskoe field saw all our legendary pilots and designers who began their journey here - S. V. Ilyushina , A. N. Tupoleva, A. S. Yakovleva ...
Many important events took place on this field that captured the imagination of people. And among them is the flight of the first domestic metal aircraft designed by Tupolev (this was in 1924). In the early 30s, the first air terminal appeared. The central airfield met and saw off many of our great contemporaries. The Victory Banner was delivered to this field from Berlin."
After the war, huge concrete hangars grew up here on the territory of the airfield instead of wooden ones. And along Leningradsky Prospekt there are one-story houses, they can be clearly seen when zoomed in on the photo on the left,
RUNWAY OF CONSTRUCTOR NOVOZHILOV General designer. These two words had a mesmerizing effect until recently, because behind them was hidden a strong personality, the highest intelligence and the indomitable will of the owner of a mysterious and unattainable position. The names of many generals are forever inscribed in the golden row of great compatriots who glorified the country and made an invaluable contribution to strengthening its power and greatness. Twice Hero of Socialist Labor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lenin Prize laureate Genrikh Vasilievich Novozhilov takes his rightful and worthy place in this row. Like any general designer, he is the creator of new, including the most popular military transport aircraft in domestic aviation - the Il-76. This was the first plane he made, practically passing the exam for the title of general designer. In the mid-1960s, Novozhilov was invited by the Minister of Aviation Industry Dementyev. At this time, Genrikh Vasilyevich was the first deputy of the outstanding designer Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin. Dementyev immediately outlined the task, proposing to make a new aircraft, but not a turboprop, but a jet military transport. At the same time, he especially emphasized that the culture of passenger aircraft must be invested in this machine. The creation of this aircraft became one of the most difficult tests in Novozhilov’s life, because a military transport aircraft, which airdrops both paratroopers and military equipment, is a very complex machine. The most stringent requirements were imposed on the aircraft: the aircraft had to be based on unprepared unpaved airfields, have decent speed, and be reliable. It was very difficult to solve the complex of all these technical issues. Airborne Forces commander Vasily Filippovich Margelov played a major role in the creation of the Il-76. He invited a group of designers to Kaunas and personally worked with them for two days, showed them what airborne troops were, and told them what kind of aircraft he needed for landing. He promised and indeed provided enormous assistance in its creation. Il-76 took off from the Frunze Central Airfield on March 25, 1971. The car was a great success, becoming the main “cab driver” of military transport aviation for many years. All the time while the new aircraft was being created, Novozhilov felt the support of Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin. Genrikh Vasilyevich remembers his great teacher and the aircraft he created with special respect. According to him, Ilyushin’s advice and wishes were useful to him throughout the difficult path of creating new airliners with the Il brand. From him, Genrikh Vasilyevich heard: “There is no work that could not be done better. I have always followed this rule." And one more thing: “Don’t think that you can achieve anything worthwhile in life by working only 8 hours a day.” His planes testify to the heights Ilyushin reached. They surprised the world even before the war. In 1936, test pilot Vladimir Konstantinovich Kokkinaki, later Major General of Aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, for the first time in the world showed Stalin Nesterov’s loop on a TsKB-30 bomber. Less than three years later, Kokkinaki flew from Moscow to the northern United States on the same plane. The American military gasped: unlike Chkalov and Gromov, who flew there earlier in vehicles specially built for records, this time the Russians reached America on an ordinary serial bomber! And then in the history of the Experimental Design Bureau there was the legendary “flying tank” - Il-2, which became a nightmare for the Nazis during the war. About this aircraft, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Air Marshal Alexander Nikolaevich Efimov said this: “It was one of the most accessible aircraft for mastering. It was distinguished by ease of piloting and unpretentious maintenance on the ground, both during preparation for the flight and after it was completed.” Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, Colonel General of Aviation Mikhail Petrovich Odintsov went through the Great Patriotic War, as they say, “from bell to bell.” He flew on the Il-2 attack aircraft. I recalled that the Germans called this plane “Black Death” with fear and hatred and established a reward of two thousand marks for each Il-2 shot down. Our fighters and commanders called attack pilots “air infantry”, who “ironed the ground” in low-level flight, solving combat missions in close cooperation with ground forces, supporting them, hitting the enemy’s military equipment and manpower with all their firepower. This was also important for raising the morale of our troops. People saw that not only the earth was burning under the feet of the fascists, but also the sky was putting up a fiery barrier for them. Odintsov carried out many daring assaults. Descending to the height of strafing flight, he boldly attacked the enemy, shot at the Nazis with rocket shells, and smashed them with cannons and machine guns. “We need to bow to the ground to the creator of the IL-2, designer Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin,” is the opinion of Chief Marshal of Aviation Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov. Briefly and clearly. There was also the Il-4, the main bomber of the Great Patriotic War. It was they who attacked Berlin on August 8, 1941. A total of 5,500 vehicles were produced, and it is symbolic that a monument to the Il-4 was erected on Poklonnaya Hill. Sergei Vladimirovich himself spoke less about the Il-2 attack aircraft, and more about the Il-4 bomber. It was felt that he was dearer to him... But even during the war years, Ilyushin thought about a peaceful life and back in 1943 he began to design the first Soviet passenger aircraft, the Il-12. No one gave him a task, but Sergei Vladimirovich himself understood that after the victory he would need a better aircraft than the Il-2. And he made such a plane... A student at the Aviation Institute, Novozhilov, was sent to the Ilyushin Design Bureau in 1948 for pre-graduation practice. Genrikh Vasilyevich has been fascinated by aviation since childhood. The boys had their own “star” heroes - Chkalov, Gromov, Kokkinaki, from whom they took an example, whom they wanted to be like. As Novozhilov recalls, his love for aviation began with his neighbor in a communal apartment, Uncle Shura Sinitsyn, who worked in civil aviation, although he was not a pilot, but wore a beautiful uniform and gave the neighbor’s boy books about aviation to read. And he often visited his neighbor and listened with bated breath to his stories. First, together with him, and then independently, he built model airplanes. Uncle Shura taught the inquisitive boy to be fluent in both carpentry and plumbing tools. This has been very useful in life. Naturally, Heinrich really wanted to become a pilot, but he didn’t have the chance. In 1939, he severely injured his leg, underwent several operations, and had to give up his dream of becoming a pilot. But not with aviation! When it came time to choose an institute, I chose an aviation one: maybe a designer, but still in aviation. When I defended my diploma, I was invited to work. So since 1948, Novozhilov has had one entry in his work book: “Aviation complex named after. S. V. Ilyushin.” Sergei Vladimirovich always personally held the first meeting with young specialists. No one wrote down or took notes of his thoughts, but he remembered them well: his statements were so vivid, accurate, tested by practice and time. He drew the attention of young guys who had just arrived at the enterprise, firstly, to the need to maintain state secrets and, secondly, to adherence to labor and production discipline. It was very strict with both. In addition to civilian aircraft, the enterprise also designed military vehicles, so everyone was subject to a closed, secret regime, just like at other factories in the defense complex. Novozhilov also noted that Sergei Vladimirovich treated young specialists seriously and with interest, entrusted them with important areas of work, and ensured quick promotion, of course, if they deserved it. However, the entire “old Ilyushin guard” also provided full support to the newcomers. The arrival of the next group of young specialists bringing new knowledge, combining them with the experience of specialists with many years of experience, created what can be called the driving force of the design bureau. In those years, the OKB launched the Il-28 bomber into mass production. Novozhilov immediately got involved in the work. Then there were modifications: Il-28 - reconnaissance aircraft, Il-28 - torpedo bomber. Over the course of several years, more than 5,500 vehicles were produced. Novozhilov had to work a lot on the passenger aircraft with Il-18 turboprop engines. This is a whole era in the domestic aircraft industry. Not only ordinary people, but also state leaders flew in this reliable, comfortable car. It was the first aircraft that, in terms of its technical and flight characteristics, successfully competed with foreign analogues and was sold abroad. Of the 500–520 vehicles produced, about a hundred were sold to 16 countries around the world, and are still in operation in some countries. The history of the appearance of this aircraft is remarkable. As Novozhilov recalls, Sergei Vladimirovich preferred to spend his holidays in his native Vologda places, in the village of Dilyalevo. I hunted and fished there. But one day I flew south to Sochi. He came back and said: “Guys, here we have business travelers or rich people flying. It is necessary to make, excuse me, aviation the property of the Soviet people so that a plane ticket is not much more expensive than a train ticket!” By that time, Novozhilov was already a 1st category designer and a leading flight test designer. Ilyushin, unexpectedly for him, offered to become deputy chief designer and lead the work on putting the Il-18 aircraft into operation. Novozhilov at first began to refuse, he was afraid that he would not be able to cope, but the general insisted. Genrikh Vasilyevich was then only 33 years old, and a huge responsibility fell on his shoulders. It was not easy for the car to gain a reputation for being ultra-reliable. There were disasters, titanic work to fine-tune the aircraft. Genrikh Vasilyevich worked, as usual, for 12–14 hours. That plane is especially dear to him, like any “difficult child.” He gave the IL-18 six years. He says that without that production school there would not have been a general designer Novozhilov... In 1964, Ilyushin appointed Genrikh Vasilyevich chief designer and first deputy general designer with the task of putting the long-range Il-62 “on the wing” and organizing its mass production. The aircraft at that time was at the stage of factory testing. It was necessary to conduct flight and government tests and put the aircraft into mass production. On September 15, 1967, passenger transportation began - immediately along the international route Moscow-Montreal, then Moscow-New York, etc. For this work, in 1970, Novozhilov, as part of a group of Ilyushin residents, was awarded the Lenin Prize. By the way, it was on the Il-62 plane that the emergency recorder appeared, which we call a “black box,” although the body has a bright orange color. His tape recordings were quite informative, and the case was protected. Novozhilov does not know who came up with the name “black box”. In July 1970, Academician Ilyushin decided to retire - he was already in his seventy-seventh year... They tried to persuade him to stay, but he firmly said: “If I can’t come first and leave last, then I shouldn’t be a general designer!” Having announced his decision, Sergei Vladimirovich said that, in agreement with Minister Dementyev, the Central Committee of the party, the Military-Industrial Commission of the USSR Council of Ministers, he is transferring the “helm of leadership” to one of his closest students, his first deputy Genrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov, a specialist with excellent business and human skills. qualities... “To tell the truth,” admits Genrikh Vasilyevich, “I never felt that he, roughly speaking, coached me during those six years that I was his first deputy. Maybe I became a general designer because I never aspired to become one...” And he never sat down at his teacher’s desk, he equipped himself with a new manager’s workplace in the same office. And Sergei Vladimirovich’s chair and table, his portrait remained there as a memory of the great aircraft designer. This is exactly what he called himself - not the main one, not the general one, but simply: “Aircraft designer Ilyushin.” A year later, on April 26, 1971, Novozhilov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. And a month before the award, on March 25, 1971, Genrikh Vasilyevich invited Ilyushin to Khodynka - the Central Airfield named after M.V. Frunze, from where almost all the aircraft of this design bureau carried out their first flights. That day, a new military transport aircraft, a huge Il-76, was being prepared for takeoff. The lifting of the “winged truck” was entrusted to the crew commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, Eduard Ivanovich Kuznetsov. The teacher and student walked around the plane, examined everything, exchanged opinions, and Academician Ilyushin gave the go-ahead for takeoff. It is clear that the decision on the first flight of the Il-76, in fact, in the very center of the capital had already been agreed upon and accepted, but Novozhilov considered it his sacred duty to provide Ilyushin with the opportunity to fly the plane with his name on the wings into the sky... Later, Genrikh Vasilyevich had to deal with development of many modifications of the Il-76. We are talking about the military transport Il-76 MF and Il-76 MD, the Il-76 K aircraft, designed for training cosmonauts in short-term weightlessness, the Il-76 MD "Scalpel" flying hospital, the Il-78 tanker... Please note that in in particular, on one of the options for using the IL-76. Various types of aircraft were used to extinguish forest fires. After the appearance of the “seventy-sixth”, the idea arose to use it for this purpose. And such a “firefighting aircraft”, which could drop 32, and later 42 tons of water, was designed and put into production. In 1990, the aircraft was first used in the Krasnoyarsk Territory to extinguish the taiga and showed its high efficiency. Two years later, in extremely difficult conditions near Yerevan, a fire at an ammunition depot was extinguished. Later, there were many other successfully completed tasks both in Russia and in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey... Those abroad were immediately convinced that the Il-76 firefighting aircraft had no analogues in the world. It is noteworthy that after the fires in Florida, the Americans, having become familiar with the vehicle’s capabilities, called it a “water bomber” or “a strategic weapon in firefighting.” In 1995, the aircraft and fire-fighting equipment received a gold medal at the Brussels-Eureka 95 World Salon of Inventions and Scientific Research in Belgium. And this is not the only prestigious international award for a unique car. In 1969, the OKB began development of the first Russian wide-body passenger aircraft, called the Il-86. By that time, the demand for air transport was enormous, and the Boeing 747 made its first flight overseas. The creation of a machine unprecedented for the Russian aviation industry, because 350 passenger seats is no joke, began with the elaboration of possible options. Novozhilov recalls that transformations of the passenger Il-62 and even the transport Il-76 were considered. In the end, they began to develop a completely new airplane. The first experimental Il-86 with a flight range of 4,500 km rolled out of the gates of the experimental design bureau plant onto the airfield of the Central Airfield at the end of 1976. On December 26, 1980, passenger transportation began on the Il-86, first on the Moscow-Tashkent route, later to Sochi, Simferopol, Mineralnye Vody... On July 3, 1981, the Il-86 made its first international flight to Berlin. Soon the plane began landing at airports in Madrid, Paris, London and other European capitals. This was followed by Singapore and Malaysia, the USA and Canada. Il-76 and Il-86, which over the years have transported more than 150 million passengers, have incorporated a whole bunch of original design solutions, and have become a kind of basic model for the development of subsequent airliners. It is no coincidence that in 1984 Novozhilov was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the department of mechanics and control processes. His scientific work is related to aerodynamic research, the reliability of complex structures, and the development of fundamentally new approaches to the so-called manufacturability of developed machines and mechanisms. About one and a half hundred inventions and these very “innovations” are protected by patents. In the early 80s, Genrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov was awarded the second gold medal of the Hero of Socialist Labor. On September 28, 1988, Hero of the Soviet Union, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Stanislav Bliznyuk took off an experienced wide-body intercontinental Il-96-300. This vehicle is capable of carrying 300 passengers or 30 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 10 thousand kilometers at a speed of 850–900 km/h. A completely new plane - new wings, new engines, new flight and navigation system. Later, together with the Americans, the Il-96 T cargo aircraft was designed and produced, which was equipped with American engines and equipment. This aircraft received - for the first time in the history of our aviation industry - a certificate of airworthiness from the US Register (FAA). Il-96-MO - “modernized, experienced” - was capable of carrying 450 passengers, and in the cargo version - 96 tons over a distance of 5000 km or covering a route of 13 thousand km with a load of 40 tons. Subsequently, he flew around the globe in many directions. The fact that the President of Russia flies on the Il-96-300 speaks of the traditional high trust in the technology of this design bureau. All Ilyushin planes transported the government of the USSR and Russia: Il-12, Il-14, Il-18, Il-62. “Ilam” holds many records. But the main record is simple: during the entire existence of the design bureau, and it was organized in December 1933, about 60 thousand Ilovs were built. When foreign colleagues hear this figure, they don’t believe it. But the fact is a fact: more than 40 thousand were built in the most difficult time for our Motherland - during the Great Patriotic War: 36 thousand Il-2, 5.5 thousand Il-4 and somewhere around 800 Il-10. In general, based on the aircraft of the design bureau, which bears the name of the outstanding aviation designer, world-famous Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin, you can view the entire history of aviation, including civil aviation. This applies to the military to a lesser extent, since there were attack aircraft, bombers, and with fighters there was a “gap” - only one modification of the Il-1. But in civil aviation, the whole story is here: the piston Il-12, which began to be designed in 1943, and in 1946 it already took off. Next, the Il-14 is a plane that was very loved and which did a lot in the Arctic and Antarctic. Polar aviation pilots give this aircraft the highest rating. Then there was the Il-18 - Novozhilov’s favorite plane, on which he went through a huge school. He drove it from operational tests, flew it halfway around the world, carried the government on it, being responsible for the material part. This machine was used to fly along new unexplored routes, with the designer’s seat behind the ship’s commander. Novozhilov investigated all the crashes of this plane. And not only. He personally took part in the investigation of 80 percent of the crashes of all aircraft of the Ilyushin Design Bureau. Yes, in Novozhilov’s life there were not only pleasant ups of “Ilov”. There were also difficult moments when he participated in the work of emergency commissions - he represented the developer and got to the bottom of the true causes of disasters in order to prevent their recurrence. And on such days and hours he remembered Ilyushin’s parting words: “You must be able to take a blow!” Genrikh Vasilievich was one of the initiators of the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS. It all started with an exhibition in 1992, which became the ancestor of the salon. For that exhibition, Novozhilov received the Order of Friendship of Peoples from Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin, and in 1993 the first salon took place. It was here that our Il-96–400 T was first presented. Speaking about competition on the world market, Genrikh Vasilyevich notes: civil aircraft manufacturing is one of the few industries that harbors significant export potential. In particular, the IL-76 brought billions in revenue to the country. Il-96-MO could sell up to 40 aircraft per year. Unfortunately, today we are inferior to foreign models in terms of engine noise, ecology, interior design and in-flight passenger entertainment systems. The latest aircraft Il-96-300, Tu-204, Tu-214 meet all the requirements, but selling aircraft has become very difficult. It is necessary to create service bases abroad, have a supply of various equipment, and quickly replace failed units. About his fate, Genrikh Vasilyevich wrote an interesting book “About himself and airplanes,” which immediately became a bibliographic rarity. And this is not surprising - the book's circulation is only 500 copies, but it has absorbed an entire era of domestic aircraft construction: from the Il-14 to the Il-96-400. And the story is narrated by a person who personally went through all the stages in the design bureau, in pilot, and then in mass production, who knows his business very well. The titles and regalia of Novozhilov can be listed for a long time; his services to the Motherland are impressive. Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1970), twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1971, 1981), academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1984), awarded three Orders of Lenin, Orders of the October Revolution, the Red Banner of Labor, the Badge of Honor, medals... Recently, a prize was added to these awards Moscow government “Legend of the Century”, G. V. Novozhilov was awarded her for exceptional services in the twentieth century. At one time, Sergei Ilyushin encouraged the team to make aircraft that would be good today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. Novozhilov strictly followed this rule for many years. That is why, during the presentation of the “Honored Designer of Russia” badge, he told the President of Russia: “The difficulties that the aviation industry is experiencing will be overcome. “Il” aircraft have flown, are flying and will continue to fly, doing for Russia the work that they are obliged to do.” Genrikh Vasilievich is now the chief scientific adviser to the general director of OJSC Aviation Complex named after S.V.Ilyushin. He hopes that Russian aircraft manufacturing will be revived and become, as before, a very prestigious, well-funded industry in which working will be interesting and profitable. As for the capabilities of our designers, their ability to think and design successfully, he has no doubts: talents have not dried up in Russia. So to the question: “Does our aviation have a future?” - answers firmly: “If you believe that there is no future, then life is not worth living.”
The airfield on this site appeared in 1910, and here the wings of Russia opened and grew stronger. Until then, so much had happened here... Just seven kilometers from the Kremlin, the vast Khodynskoe field spread out and opened up. The plain got its name from the Khodynka River that flowed through it, the left tributary of the Moscow River, now hidden underground in a pipe
Here, on a spacious meadow stretching towards the horizon, they grazed cattle, prepared excellent hay, poisoned bears with dogs in the “Bear Garden”, released balloons, staged fist fights, fought desperately with the Poles and Tushino impostors.
At the beginning of the 18th century. The “royal road”, the Petersburg Highway, ran through this field, connecting the two capitals. Along this road, the kings entered the Mother See for their coronation, and Khodynskoye eventually became a venue for mass meetings, celebrations, exhibitions and fairs.
Khodynka was especially glorified by the magnificent celebration in honor of the successful completion of the war with Turkey in the summer of 1775. Mother Catherine II herself arrived at the celebration from the banks of the Neva, and people flocked to see her not only from Moscow, but also from nearby settlements, villages and villages. In the 19th century The plain became the summer location of the Moscow garrison, shooting ranges and military exercises. Therefore, it began to be called the Military Field, and after the revolution - October.
The complexity of army everyday life is evidenced by the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” (July 3, 1862): “The battery of the grenadier artillery division on the rear Khodynskoye field during the camp assembly carried out practical firing of combat charges from field guns, as well as siege and fortress caliber ... " Although they fired “in a square”, the residents of the village of Shchukino were asked to be careful and not to go there to pick berries.
In the 19th century the field began to rapidly decrease in volume. These were already military camps with a parade ground, rows of tents, stables, a brick water pump, and a barn with coal next to it. A lot of space was devoted to artillery parks with huge powder warehouses that have survived to this day.
By decree of the Senate in 1831, a considerable piece of the southern part of the field was allocated to the “Horse Racing Society” for the construction of a hippodrome, for which 121 dessiatines of meadow were immediately spent (a dessiatine - 1.09 hectares). Not far away, on the future Begovaya Street, the “Equestrian Society Club” arose, next to the massive “Mantashev Stables” - a real horse palace. Relatively close to the hippodrome, again on field land, with the money of the famous philanthropist K.T. Soldatenkovskaya hospital was built, now Botkinskaya - an entire medical town.
Nearby, huge brick Nikolaev winter barracks with an equally large military temple were erected. In addition, this tasty piece of land was surrounded on all sides by dozens of small enterprises - the polish factory of the merchant Vasilyev, the kid factory of Fedyanin. This list can be continued: some left, others came to smoke the air and poison the river. The large All-Russian exhibitions stand apart with a mass of pavilions, utility rooms, hangars for storing exhibits, security booths, restaurants with kitchens and ice cellars. In 1872, during the All-Russian Polytechnic Exhibition, a railway line was laid on the territory of Khodynsky Field from the Brest Station to the Petrovsky Palace, where Emperor Alexander II and his retinue stayed. Along the branch there is a representative transport exposition. 10 years later, rails were laid along the same route again - this time for the 1st All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition. Its pavilions were located on the site of the current Young Pioneers stadium, and the building of the royal residence at the exhibition is still intact.
Exhibitions of 1872, 1882, 1891 They “bited off” little by little from what was once such a spacious field, buildings remained, new ones were added to them, and even entire streets appeared - such, for example, as large as Begovaya.
The most tragic page in the history of this memorable place occurred on May 18, 1896, when, on the days of the coronation of Nicholas II, the distribution of “royal gifts” was planned from the stalls that stood on Khodynskoye Field. Here is what the king of Moscow reporters, Vladimir Gilyarovsky, testifies to this: “The stone royal pavilion, the only building that survived from the industrial exhibition that was on this site, decorated with fabrics and flags, dominated the area. Next to it, a deep ditch yawned like a not at all festive yellow spot - the site of previous exhibitions...” It was this ditch, the holes from the previous foundations, that played the fatal role of a trap, from which many were unable to escape.
According to the current topography, the place of mass death was on the 1st Botkinsky passage. Those in power did not grieve for long and did a lot to turn this page of history.
“Flower Festivals” began to be held on Khodynskoe Field, which attracted a lot of public, since the imagination of the organizers of this colorful, fragrant flower parade was inexhaustible.
In 1908, the Moscow Circular Railway crossed Khodynka from north to south and thereby further pressed our plain. By the way, this vast space was crossed in different directions by country roads. Moreover, until 1920, the Khodynka airfield was still crossed by two roads. And one could often see a cart trudge through the airfield or a cab gather dust. And then the soldiers are marching in formation: after all, next to Serebryany Bor for many years there were camps called “Cuckoo” for some reason. Only after the government decree on the transfer of the Khodynka military field “to the exclusive use of the Air Fleet” was traffic through the convoy airfield restricted here from 1921 and bypass roads were built. But for a long time, Khodynka was a favorite place for walks among Muscovites: on weekends, chains of people stretched across the airfield to take a walk in Serebryany Bor.
The first flights in Moscow took place over the hippodrome. In the fall of 1909, French aviators Leganier and Guillot demonstrated flight in a circle at an altitude of 15 m above the treadmill. The unimaginable was happening in the stands: applause and screams drowned out the noise of the engine.
1910 can rightfully be considered the year of the creation of Russian aviation. It was at the beginning of 1910 that the idea of creating the Moscow Aeronautics Society (MAS) “for the systematic development of aviation” took hold in Moscow and was implemented. The main task of the MoU was “to promote the development of Russian aeronautics in all its forms and applications, mainly scientific, technical, military and sports.” In March 1910, the Society's Council was established, and the commander of the Moscow Military District, General Plehve, was elected chairman. The new MOU consisted of three committees: sports - it was headed by Nikolai von Meck, military - Lieutenant General 3uev and scientific and technical - Professor N.E. Zhukovsky. In May, the famous athlete and desperate aviator Sergei Utochkin, invited to Moscow, took flights on his Farman IV plane. At first, Utochkin demonstrated his skills over the hippodrome, and then over the Khodynka field. “On May 6, Muscovites saw a wonderful flight, which dispelled the skepticism towards aviation caused by the first unsuccessful flights in Moscow by foreign aviators. Utochkin describes one circle, then another, rises higher and higher, quickly reaches 120 m and suddenly immediately flies over the stands and disappears behind them...” This flight over Khodynskoe Field lasted as much as 19 minutes. 22 sec. In the evening of the same day, the Aeronautics Society honored the aerial virtuoso at the Yar restaurant.
To the credit of the wonderful athlete Sergei Utochkin, who strived for the development of Russian aviation, he donated 2 thousand rubles to create a flying school to train new pilots, and the MOU appealed to the headquarters of the military district with a petition to allocate a site for an airfield on the Khodynskoye field. All issues were resolved fairly quickly, and on June 17, 1910, the Society’s council informed the general meeting “about the complete solution of the land issue,” that is, the future airfield was tied to a specific location - the Khodynskoye field.
Yes, there was nothing one could wish for in a better location in Moscow: vast territory, proximity to the city, fairly convenient transport links. Tram route No. 6 ran from the center almost to the gates of the field. This first airfield was mainly built with public money - proceeds from Air Fleet enthusiasts. Construction began with a runway and six hangars, tiny by our standards: for 1-2 aircraft.
One of the first to request space for two aircraft was S. Utochkin, who decided to settle in Moscow. Boris Rossinsky, who returned “after learning to fly” from France, was allowed by the city authorities to build a hangar for his Blériot XI aircraft. One of the hangars for two aircraft was owned by the famous Moscow milk merchant Chichkin. In Moscow, there were only Chichkin and Blandov’s dairy stores with truly excellent products. After the revolution, Chichkin abandoned the plane, but began to help the new government establish cheese production.The largest hangar was built by the Dux plant, which previously produced bicycles and then aircraft.
Crates from airplanes were squeezed between the hangars. In them, engine mechanics, with the help of pilots, sorted out the engines of their airplanes. To lubricate the engines, they used castor oil, which was purchased at the nearest pharmacy. Gasoline was taken from Nobile - it was brought in oak barrels. During the flight, the pilots wore hard helmets covered with leather. There were no transparent visors on the airplane yet, and splashes of castor oil from the engines flew into the face.
So, life was in full swing at the new airfield. The MOV Bulletin proudly wrote: “Now you won’t recognize the deserted corner of Khodynka, reserved for the Society’s airfield. Along the highway towards the All Saints Grove stretches a number of hangars, either already built or still under construction. Through the central entrance (opposite Stelna) you get to the stands, of which there are two so far. The stands are of a light type, 50 fathoms long, with covered boxes at the top. They are designed for 3,000 people.” A watchman stood at the entrance gate and asked: “Do you have a pass?” You could answer anything. In all cases the sound was the same: “Well, come on in.”
The official opening of the airfield took place on October 3, 1910 in the presence of a large number of officials and generals. Famous Russian aviators were invited for demonstration flights.
On October 15, the first Moscow “long-distance” flight took place. The pilot M. Efimov on the Bleriot XI plane, having made a circle over the airfield, flew into the distance. It soon became known that Efimov fell into the clouds, got lost and sat down near the village of Cheryomushki. The flight, about 20 miles long, became one of the longest in Russia in 1910. The onset of frost forced the flights to stop.
Before the era of aviation, Khodynskoye Field was the main site of Moscow army parades, which were constantly attended by Russian emperors with their retinue and distinguished foreign guests. They were usually held after summer maneuvers or some events. The last such major review of the sovereign's troops took place at the end of August 1912, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. The stands at the Khodynka airfield were filled to capacity, and the guests of honor were accommodated in two boxes. 40 thousand troops of all branches took part in the festive review!
During the World War, the first domestic pilot school was opened at the Khodynka airfield, which trained many brave pilots. The imperfection of the technology of those days and mistakes in piloting often led to a tragic ending. As the famous pilot K.K. testified. Artseulov, when he came from the front to Khodynka in 1915 to test the first batch of fighters produced by the Dux plant, from the air he noticed bright red spots scattered across the airfield. It turns out that whole families of scarlet carnations nested among the grass here - they were sown at the site of the death of the aviator.
And some major notes from the distant 15th year. The Khodynsky airfield was notable for its unusual hangar; it was built with the money of Vasily Vasilyevich Prokhorov, a relative of the famous manufacturer. On the roof of this building stood a glazed pavilion, covered with carpets and decorated with paintings. There was also a magnificent buffet. In this salon, in front of a huge glass with a view of the entire field, there were chairs for guests. K. Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko visited here quite often.
A statue of Icarus towered over the pavilion, and in the hangar the only Moran with a 60-horsepower engine stood lonely. With. On the wing of the airplane there was a sign in huge letters: “Prokhorov”; this free artist flew rarely and with little success. Not far from the aviator-poet, the hangar of the Dux aircraft plant stood impressively; it also had an observation pavilion, but everything was modest and well built. The guests of "Dux" were people from the business world and the military.
After the Civil War, the impressive flourishing of Khodynka, and with it Soviet aviation, began, and at the same time the “exceptional importance of Khodynka for the needs of aviation” was recognized. The Khodynskoye field was recognized as “...very suitable for the creation of the Main Airfield of the Air Fleet.” Moreover, in 1920, the official chronicle additionally announced that “Khodynka was again chosen as the site for the creation of an experimental airfield in the country.”
Just listing Khodynka’s incredible operational air volume would take more than one solid volume. Let’s touch on at least a few episodes from those years - here every day, “launched for the first time,” “successfully tested,” “record set.”
The first celebration of the Air Fleet took place on August 2, 1920. Only a few aircraft took part in the parade, but “the best red eagles, heroes of the civil war” demonstrated excellent piloting techniques.
The attempt of aviation to participate in the advertising campaigns of those days is quite interesting; M. Bulgakov mentions in his essay “Trading Renaissance”: “In the fall (1921), the aircraft of the Air Fleet aviation group have already made the first experience of scattering advertisements over Moscow, and now accepting advertisements is open "From an airplane." A line of such an advertisement costs 15 rubles, for new banknotes.”
Let's continue the chronology of the airfield. May 3, 1922 - start of flights on the route Moscow - Koenigsberg - Berlin. Joint company - Germany - USSR "Deruluft". It is important that the window to Europe is slightly opened.
On July 15, 1923, by decision of the Council of Labor and Defense, the first regular passenger flights Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod took place. The journey of 420 km was completed in 2.5 hours. The line was served by a four-seater AK-1 aircraft, a monoplane designed by Aleksandrov and Kalinin. On the Aeroflot first line ticket it was written: “The passenger is obliged to monitor the wheels of the aircraft during the flight and, in case of a problem, report to the pilot.” Today it seems incredible, but then the passenger was obliged to help the pilot, who could not take his hands off the helm, and the necessary instruments and sensors simply did not exist.
The ancestor of all metal aircraft in our country, ANT-2, designed by Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev, made its first flight on May 26, 1924 at the Khodynka airfield.
In March 1923, aviation enthusiasts created the Voluntary Society of Friends of the Air Fleet (SDVF). The objectives of the Society were expressed by the slogan: “Working people - build an Air Fleet!” In subsequent years, the ODVF provided the government with real assistance in creating powerful aviation. Celebrations of members of the ODVF and flights of the propaganda squadron constantly took place at the Khodynka airfield.
In the same 1923, the Dobrolet society was established - the future Ministry of Civil Aviation. For many years, Central - the former Khodynsky, Main airfield, named after M.V. Frunze, had an unsightly, small airport building. The newly created Dobrolet decided to combine the efforts of Osoaviakhim, Ukrvozduhput and even the Germans (Deruluft had its hangars on Khodynka for a long time) and jointly build a large airport. But it turned out like Krylov’s: crayfish and pike. And only by November 1931, the first airport in the USSR was commissioned on Khodynka, at that time one of the largest in the world. It is no coincidence that the nearest metro station was named “Airport”. By the way, this long-lived building, despite the development of airlines, was only replaced by January 1966 by a modern city air terminal building.
Khodynka airfield is a cluster of Russian aviation history. This field received all our legendary pilots, the first Russian airplanes took off from here, the leading aviation and missile design bureaus of Polikarpov, Mikoyan, Yakovlev, Ilyushin, Sukhoi, Lavochkin were founded here. Many of our great contemporaries were met and seen off here. It was here that military formations were formed during World War II. Here on the morning of May 9, 1945, pilot A.I. Semenkov delivered the act of unconditional surrender of Germany, and then the Victory Banner arrived.
