The Gagarin Air Force Academy established

On March 29, 1940 the People’s Defense Commissar of USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union K. E. Voroshilov signed a decree on creation of Military academy of air force which was renamed to the Air force academy n. a. Ya. A. Gagarin in 1968.

The creation of the Red Army Military academy of air force was one of the important steps in strengthening the defense of the Soviet state in the framework of the World War II. The Academy was the first military school of higher education in the world which trained the managerial personnel of pilots.

For the location of the Academy was chosen the village of Monino near Moscow. The construction works for deployment of aviation garrison in Monino started in 1929 and continued through 1930s. The Academy formation was conducted in undertime. The special attention was attributed to the development of organizational structure of the institution, the formation of management personnel, staff recruitment.

The first head of the Red Army Air academy of air force was assigned Major General of aviation Zinoviy Pomerantsev. The Civil war veteran, a fighting pilot, he graduated from the Military academy of the Workers’-Peasants’ Red Army n. a. M. V. Frunze and had been at the head of Air force academy n. a. professor N. E. Zhukovsky. The post of the Military Commissar was given to division commissar Mikhail Ivanovich Izotov, the Civil war veteran who graduated from the Military-political academy n. a. V. I. Lenin.

The study at the command and navigation departments lasted for three years. Postal tuition at the academy included four years of study. The commanders entering the academy were obliged to have a higher general or military education, three years’ experience of command post, a credit and be fit for air service. Academy entrants took the examinations according to the curriculum of a higher general and military school.

In August-September 1940 accepted the first year students for the command, navigation and postal tuition departments.

For the outstanding results in preparing highly skilled professionals the Air force academy was awarded with two Soviet and seven foreign orders.

Under the government’s decree of the Russian Federation №283 оf March 7, 2008 the Gagarin Air force academy was merged with Air and engineering academy n. a. professor N. E. Zhukovsky to become the Air force academy n. a. professor N. E. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin.

At present the Air force academy is one of the leading military institutions for professional education of military personnel of high level for the air forces. It trains the aviation personnel for the posts of commanders and heads of staff of aircraft units and formations, units of communication and radio and technical support, senior navigators of aviation units and formation, staff officers of aircraft associations.

Lit.: Военно-воздушная академия имени Ю.  А. Гагарина. М., 1984; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/vva_monino/index.html.; Распоряжение правительства РФ № 283-р от 7.03.2008. // Собрание законодательства Российской Федерации. 2008. 17 марта. № 11, ст. 1041.