A historical and documentary exhibition opened in Bishkek «Frunzensky Aero Club – school of heroes!»

On March 10, the opening of a historical and documentary exhibition «Frunzensky Aero Club – School of Heroes!» took place in the exhibition hall-gallery named after Hero of the Soviet Union Cholponbai Tuloberdiev in Bishkek.The exhibition is dedicated to the anniversary of the creation of the Frunzensky Aero Club, as well as the feat of Hero of the Soviet Union Ismailbek Taranchiev, accomplished in March 1944. The exhibition was organized by the United Directorate of Memorial Museums of the city of Bishkek together with the Center for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B.N. Yeltsin.The exhibition was prepared on the basis of research work carried out in the state archives of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation, as well as in the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic. The authors of the exhibition were Doctor of Historical Sciences Olga Sumarokova and Candidate of Historical Sciences Leonid Sumarokov. During the study, archival wartime documents were studied, as well as materials transmitted by search teams «Red Star» and «Memory» from the Novgorod region of the Russian Federation.The exhibition tells about the history of the Frunzensky flying club of Osoaviakhim, which opened on April 1, 1934. By 1936, the flying club had trained dozens of pilots, hundreds of glider pilots and paratroopers, and in 1938 it received its own airfield. In May 1941, the 24th Military Aviation School of Initial Training Pilots began to be formed on its basis, training flight personnel for the Red Army. In the same year, three night light bomber aviation regiments — 660th, 664th and 665th were formed in Kyrgyzstan, which took part in the Battle of Rzhev and the defense of Leningrad.A special place in the exhibition is occupied by materials about graduates of the flying club. Seven of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union — Mikhail Afanasyev, Mikhail Babkin, Evdokim Mazkov, Nikolai Miroshnichenko, Nikolai Rud, Ismailbek Taranchiev and twice Hero of the Soviet Union Talgat Begeldinov, who started here as a cadet and later worked as an instructor. The exhibition features portraits of hero pilots, archival documents and historical photographs.During the opening of the exhibition, Colonel General Abdygul Chotbaev and Vice-President of the Russian Cultural Center «Harmony» Semyon Polyakov emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory of the feat of the generation of winners by young people.The exhibition is aimed at preserving historical memory, perpetuating the feat of aviation heroes and popularizing Kyrgyzstan’s contribution to the overall Victory during the Great Patriotic War.The exhibition operates in the exhibition hall-gallery named after Cholponbai Tuloberdiev (g. Bishkek, Kok-Sai st., 39a). Visitors will be able to get acquainted with unique archival materials and the history of heroes whose destinies became part of the general history of the Victory.