Aviation Week at the South Russian Regional Agricultural, Industrial and Handicraft Exhibition in 1910 in Katerynoslav: a project that has not been completed

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/272010

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to consider the little-learned events of Ekaterinoslav's aviation and aviation life in the context of world aviation development, to identify the events that led to the emergence of the aviation week project in Ekaterinoslav and the process of its preparation. Analytical-synthetic, historical-chronological, comparative-historical, logical methods, synchronization method were used to achieve the purpose of the study. The events of the world and domestic level, which preceded the appearance of this project, are covered. The historiography of the study has been studied, and it has been proved that, along with a small number of publications examining the development of aviation in Ekaterinoslav, they are more journalistic than scientific. The initiating role of these publications for further research is noted. The influence of the South Russian regional agricultural, industrial and handicraft exhibition, which took place in Yekaterinoslav from July 1, 1910 to October 10, 1910, on the origin of the idea of holding an aviation week in Yekaterinoslav and the process of its preparation were clarified. The previously unknown facts of the active reaction of aviators, aircraft manufacturers and aviation institutions and associations on the possibility of participation in the South Russian regional agricultural, industrial and handicraft exhibition are covered. Numerous facts of relevant proposals on participation in the exhibition are presented and it is proved that such activity contributed to the nomination of the project for holding an international aviation week during the exhibition. It is shown that the planned aviation week could indeed have an international character, would take place with the participation of well-known aviator pilots (in particular, such well-known in the world as S.I. Utochkin, E. Gilbert), a wide range of designs capable of lift a person and loads into the air. Among them are balloons, airships, planes of various designs and the like. It is noted that the planned international aviation week of this scale would be the first in Ukraine and the second in the Russian Empire. The implementation of this project could have made this exhibition a historic event in the development of aviation business in Ukraine. The reasons which prompted the exhibition's steering committee to abandon the implementation of this project were identified. The opinion was expressed that despite the fact that this project was not implemented, there is every reason to state its importance for the development of aviation business in Ukraine

Published

2021-02-08