Russian Holidays - Day of the Russian Air Force High Command

January 18 is the Day of the Russian Air Force High Command, which is celebrated quite widely This is not surprising, since the Air Force Main Command was founded back in 1915 by decree of Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov Even then it was obvious that weapons, devices for waging war, and aircraft would be actively developed People actively mastered gliders and airships (the so-called “zeppelins”), which began to be built at the end of the 19th century It became obvious that aircraft would contribute not only to civilian needs, but also to military operations Despite the revolution and change of power in the country, the idea of ​​preserving the country's air force also appealed to the new leadership The government of the USSR began to actively develop this area, and in 1937 the air force became a separate independent branch of the military Today, the air force is not only defense with the help of combat aircraft, but also the introduction of new technologies that are used in space exploration All this allows you to perform complex specific tasks, tracking and blocking the movement of enemy aircraft even in the highest layers of the atmosphere And it was precisely since 1915, when the Air Force High Command was first formed, that this tradition became popular The Second World War added a special context, when it became obvious that it was air defense and air combat that became decisive in the victory of one of the sides We can say that during the Second World War the first baptism of fire of the country's air force took place Subsequently, the soldiers repeatedly practiced equally complex and dangerous tasks, operating in difficult conditions In particular, Air Force officers showed particular courage when conducting combat operations in Afghanistan, about which many books were written and many programs were filmed The statistics are also impressive If you analyze the data on the effectiveness of using aviation, they will speak for themselves Thus, during the Second World War, Soviet aviation destroyed tens of thousands of enemy bombers, and thousands of officers and ordinary pilots received awards and honorary titles “Hero of the Soviet Union” In 1998, an important historical event occurred The Air Force and Air Defense forces united, which became the second date of birth This is how the country's new air force was formed Before this, it was understood that air defense was a separate branch of the military This decision was made by the Soviet government Despite numerous reforms and structural changes, the professional holiday not only survived, but also became even more popular Traditionally, on this day it is customary to hold charity events aimed at helping military veterans It is customary to remember fallen heroes in world wars, local conflicts in Afghanistan, the Caucasus, and when performing other combat missions Public organizations are also becoming more active, forums are being held, and distinguished military personnel, including those who were injured while performing assigned tasks, are awarded with certificates and cash prizes The television broadcasting network is also changing More patriotic programs and programs are appearing that talk about how cadets of military institutions study, what qualities officers should have, and under what conditions they have to serve in modern, relatively peaceful times It has also become a good tradition to hold concerts dedicated to this holiday Quite often, in large cities and even in relatively small settlements, local authorities initiate fireworks displays dedicated to the day of the Russian Air Force High Command