Когда-то аэродром Сиверский считался элитным, and absolutely deserved. In the 40s, fierce battles with the Nazi troops were conducted in its vicinity. Siverskiy airfield was the place of service of the famous cosmonaut German Titov. And in the spring of 1981, an incident occurred here that forever glorified Major Nesterov. It was he who, at the cost of his life, led the aircraft away after its ignition.
Today, about the elitism of the flight part, oncebased in the village of Siversky (Gatchina District, Leningrad Region), only the pedestal of an airplane heading into the sky and a monument to the eminent cosmonaut German Titov remind of it.
Unfortunately, at present the aerospace site is empty, and the residents of the surrounding houses have to endure inconvenience, since in the winter their apartments are terribly cold and there is no hot water.
Historical digression
Аэродром Сиверский был возведен во второй half of the 30s of the last century for military needs. Initially, the aeroplane project did not provide for asphalt pavement, the runway was unpaved. But this fact did not interfere with the work of the I-16 and I-153 fighters.
In the fall of 1941, the Siversky airfield was capturedby the germans. Three years later, when Hitler’s army retreated, the airfield was mined, but after a while our troops were able to restore the runway. In the period from 1950 to 1960, its territory increased significantly. It was based on the legendary fighter SU-7. In the late 60s, the Siversky military airfield became the main center of fighter-bomber concentration. Soon, on the landing site, arched shelters for aircraft were constructed, and in 1977 another runway appeared with an artificial canvas.
In the early 90s, the navigators of the Siversky airfieldbegan to retrain to fly the SU-24 M. After some time, the pilots learned how to refuel in the sky. In 2006, the aircraft of the Siversky airfield ensured the safety of the G8 summit, which took place in the city on the Neva. The pilots participated in joint exercises of the air defense forces of the CIS. Some may ask quite a reasonable question: “And whose airfield is Siversky?” Until 2009, it belonged to the 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense, and then it was disbanded.
Scope of the problem
Как и во многих российских регионах, сегодняшнее the state of the Siversky airfield, except as deplorable, can not be called. Many military camps are currently no longer on the balance of the Ministry of Defense, and local authorities often do not care about their fate. Naturally, there is no money for the improvement of military camps in the municipal treasury.
The depressing picture is immediately visible:cesspool, stone pedestals with simple metalwork, serving as a gate, a leaning observation tower behind the fence. In the hangars for a long time there are no aircraft. One aircraft garage has no gate at all. The only object that is guarded at the aerodrome is a fleet of reserve cars, and even that is not immune from rain and wind.
"Non-flying" band
It leaves much to be desired and the life of local residents.The apartments have no heating. There is no hot water, cold water flows in a thin stream, and its smell simply turns away. Often turn off the electricity. Officials get replies to numerous appeals of citizens who do not want to pay for disastrously expensive utility services, as a result they are threatened with eviction. But they have no other housing. And the number of Siversky is 4 000 people. Moreover, residents are well aware of how officials report at the top on the socio-economic development of their village. They complain that not only the Siversky airfield, whose photos are terrifying and depressing, but also the military town are de facto abandoned.
Nobody cares…
Engineering communications, boilers and houses are legally located in the territory belonging to the military department.
At the same time, when interruptions withelectricity and the lack of heating, heated debate among residents about who is to blame and what to do. Naturally, there are parallel disputes about who will repair and repair. Appeals to the bodies in charge of housing and public utilities have no effect. Even the history of the name of the street where houses were built is amazing for residents. She was named after the pilot Kupriyanov, and in honor of the German city of Brandenburg. And then it was renamed the street of the Military Town, which was a complete surprise to residents. One of them said hopelessly: “All our life is without electricity and“ for later ”. Thickening the picture and dilapidated, low building, in the past occupied by the laundry. But today nobody here erases.
Local people say that a few yearsago, representatives of the business wanted to acquire the proving ground, and it was even planned to set up small aviation and air flights with the northern capital. Residents took heart and morally began to prepare for a better life. But after a while, this information was not confirmed, and things in the town became even worse than before.
The reaction of the authorities
Numerous complaints from residents of the military campthe terrible living conditions did not correct the situation. Moreover, appeals were sent to representatives of various levels of government, who in the end "closed" the problem with replies.
Military camps are going through terrible times.First, the government’s decision to transfer settlements to the balance of municipalities is executed with great delays. Then, if this happens, local officials say that it is almost impossible to solve the accumulated problems. In the military department, people are “being baptized” because military camps belong to regional authorities, and they say, ask them.
The content of bureaucratic formal replies
Problems with heat supply, in the opinion of people, occurred due to the fact that boiler room No. 5 was connected. Such a measure was undertaken because the houses and schools are removed from the boiler house No. 3.
А вот как объясняет ситуацию представитель of the municipality: “In 2003, repairs were carried out on the heating system in the school’s gymnasium, after which the temperature regime dropped significantly in several classes. To solve this problem, a circulation pump was mounted in the school's heating hub, but this only aggravated the situation. ” Why is it aggravated - the residents do not understand. Moreover, the authorities say that in order for heat to appear in the house, and hot water flowed from the tap, it is necessary to repair the heating network and modernize the heat supply source.
And officials recommend turning tothe investment program of the Public Utility Systems of the Gatchina District for the reconstruction of the heat supply system of the Gatchina municipal district, where it is planned to create a new boiler house unit.
Is there a future runway?
And, of course, until recently it was not clear what future the Siversky airfield awaits. Will it be restored?
At the moment, it is already known that officialsfrom the military department are not yet ready to provide an unused runway for the needs of civil aviation. The authorities still hope that in the near future the platform will be a place to provide passenger transportation services. For this, a whole batch of low-cost airlines will be purchased. Officials want to advance in solving the problem and revive the airfield in Siversky. Prospects for the development of the runway theoretically exist. They want to make the transportation of passengers on it cheap so that people can travel inland without much material costs.
Problem of project financing
However, for the reconstruction of the object and purchaseAircraft require financial costs, and considerable ones. It is not the first year that rumors have been circulating that the project “Eurosib” will be involved in financing the project, which in 2014 declared regional officials about their willingness to cooperate. And the governor of the Leningrad region, of course, understood the need to reconstruct the once-elite airport, but the project contains many controversial points, so I recommended not to rush things, but carefully weigh the pros and cons.
Federal officials see obstacles
However, despite the willingness of local authoritiesConsidering the revival of the take-off site at Siversky, this initiative is not yet supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport. The head of the department, Maxim Sokolov, stated that, according to the agreement of the GKCH Pulkovo, no runway could be built within a radius of four hundred kilometers. The official stressed that this would only complicate the functioning of the airline complex of Russia.
Moreover, he added that the taboo on constructionLanding stripes in certain cases is a normal international practice, otherwise large air terminals will experience financial difficulties due to the fact that new competitors have appeared on the market. But the head of the Leningrad region holds a different point of view. In his opinion, a new runway a priori will not become a competitor for Pulkovo.
Yes or no?
So will the Siversky airfield be reconstructed?The year 2016 can theoretically be considered the starting point in solving the problem. The fact is that in the fall the governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko, and the head of the DOSAAF structure agreed in writing that the legendary take-off strip near Gatchina would still carry out civilian flights. However, according to experts, such a document does not have legal force, since Siversky airfield (Leningrad Region) is the property of the military department. As a result, the issue may be delayed indefinitely.
