In the Tambov region on the initiative of power engineers of IDGC of Centre a monument was set up to the fallen pilots during the war

In the village of Podvigalovka on Kirsanovsky district of the Tambov region a solemn ceremony was held to open a monument to the crew of the IL-4 fallen during the Great Patriotic War. The monument was constructed and installed on the funds collected by the trade union committee of the Tambov branch of IDGC of Centre. The event was attended by representatives of the region, "Tambovenergo" led by Director Vladimir Syschikov, veterans of the branch, and villagers.

A military aircraft 752 of the Aviation Long-Range Regiment Division crashed in March 1943 during a training flight from the frontline airfield of Kirsanov. The crew of the pilot V.S. Kostylev, navigator I.F. Kosmynin and gunner-radio operator V.D. Vasilyev died at the crash site. For years the names of the victims were unknown. Deputy Chief of Kirsanovsky Distribution Zone for sale of services of Tambovenergo Sergey Kolychev helped restore them, who for many years in his spare time was engaged in search operations. Thanks to cooperation with the Central Military Archives, the Ministry of Defense, he was able to identify the names of more than twenty pilots, who died during the war in the territory of the Tambov region. He took the initiative to install a monument in Podvigalovka and his colleagues provided all possible assistance in the implementation of this idea.

Under volleys of rifle salute the power engineers laid a wreath and flowers at the monument, commemorating the fallen soldiers with a minute of silence. Director of Tambovenergo Vladimir Syschikov in his address to the participants of the event emphasized that employees of Tambovenergo for many years have been involved in the work to perpetuate the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War: "In the year of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, the opening of the monument to the fallen pilots is particularly symbolic. When creating the memorial our team performed extensive research work, collected funds for its installation. This is our common contribution to the preservation of the memory of the heroes of the war for future generations," stressed the head of the branch.

In response, the head of Kirsanovsky district Anatoly Korotkevich expressed his gratitude to the staff of the Tambov branch of IDGC of Centre for the great patriotic work and contribution to the war memorial creation. The event ended with demonstration performances of pilots of the Tambov aviation sports club, who demonstrated in the air elements of aerobatics.

The monument in Podvigalovka is not the only example of the participation of employees of the Tambov branch of IDGC of Centre in perpetuating the memory of military pilots. Over the past three years at the initiative of Sergey Kolychev and with the active support of colleagues in the branch of the Tambov region a monument to the crew of the aircraft Li-2, crashed near the village of Kobyaki was erected and a monument was opened to the pilots of the 1st Ryazan Higher officer school of night crews of long-range aircrafts, who died in the region in 1944.