100 years in the sky: the interactive thematic special project “Civil Aviation of Russia” will tell about the history of aviation

This year, domestic civil aviation is exactly 100 years old. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this structure for our vast country, because many cities, villages and villages simply do not have any other transport connection with the rest of Russia. For the big anniversary, Aeroflot and the federal portal National Electronic Library (NEB) have prepared a colorful and exciting online project called Civil Aviation of Russia, the press service of the air carrier reports. On its page, the user can immerse himself in the history of the country’s aeronautics.

Here are collected unique archival documents – books, newspapers, posters and photographs dedicated to the development of the country’s civil aviation and Aeroflot. Digitized rare editions were collected from the collections of libraries throughout Russia and presented in a non-standard, exciting digital format.

Easy navigation, bright illustrations, animation and infographics allow you to take a virtual journey through different eras of the industry. Scrolling through the online project, you can feel all the milestones in the development of aviation. For convenience, all materials are accompanied by notes and lined up in a single time line.

The special project presents a collection of rare Dobrolyot propaganda posters from the 1920s. The achievements of Soviet aircraft designers and Aeroflot pilots are reflected in posters, photographs and books.

The collection of leaflets, postcards and photographs tells about the invaluable contribution of aviation and the civil air fleet to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And the onset of the era of jet aviation in the post-war years and its further development to this day is represented by a selection of filmstrips, scientific papers and rare photographs from the archives of the Aeroflot Museum and the NEB.

“Over the 100 years that have passed since the founding of the Dobrolet joint-stock company, many thousands of specialists have worked in Aeroflot, hundreds of contracts have been signed, a large number of orders and instructions have been prepared, posters, brochures, books and brochures have been issued in a huge circulation. All these documents are part of our common history, which is truly priceless and is of interest to the widest possible audience. Thanks to the work done by the employees of the Russian State Library and the National Electronic Library together with the Department of Public Relations, pages of the company’s unique history came to life on the monitor screens, and many previously unknown facts became public knowledge. The project, which has become an important milestone in the popularization of the national air carrier, will lay the foundation for further archival searches,” said Anatoly Ivanenko, director of the Aroflot Museum.

“Thanks to the development of the NEB portal, millions of priceless documents get a new life in a convenient digital format. They can be studied online for free by readers from all over the country, not just a specific library. The joint special project of NEB and Aeroflot is a unique product. For the first time in one place, an array of unique historical documents has been collected, which, of course, are of interest to both aviation enthusiasts and industry professionals. Anyone can continue to study the topic on their own on the NEL portal and discover new knowledge,” commented Denis Arendarchuk, Director of the Department of Digital Products and Client Services of the Russian State Library.

Photo: Russian Civil Aviation