Veshchovo

60°40'27"N 029°10'06"E

runway: 15/33 - 2500x00m - concrete

Veshchovo airfield (Veshchovo, also spelled as Veshevo air base/Аэродром Вещево) was an airfield 100 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg
The airfield was built around 1950, at the beginning of the Cold War.
It was probably the most expensive and extensive construction of a military facility in the Leningrad region.
It included parts of the M-10/E18 Scandinavian highway that could serve as an alternate airfield.
Several other roads in the area also served as alternate landing sites.
From 1952 until 1978 it was home to the 57th GIAP (57-й ГИАП, or Guards Interceptor Air Regiment).
From the 1960s the airfield also served as a base for the 66 APIB (Russian: 66 АПИБ, or 66 Aviation Regiment), flying MiG-17 'Fresco' fighters.
As with all Soviet major military installations, Veshchovo had full autonomy and a well-developed infrastructure (officer housings, hostels, etc.).
In the mid-1970s the 'Frescos' were replaced with MiG-21SMT "Fishbeds", which in turn were replaced with 45 Su-17M3s in 1979.
In 1980 the airfield was transferred to the Baltic Air Fleet as 66 OMSHAP (Russian: 66 ОМШАП, or Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment).




A 57 GIAP Su-15TM 'Flagon' on the tarmac at Veshchovo (veshevoaviatori.narod.ru)




A MiG-21 'Fishbed' is seen taking off from Veshchovo in 1979 (veshevoaviatori.narod.ru).


Two events occurred around or at the airfield in the 1980s that drew attention throughout the Soviet Union.
Around the end of August 1988 the airfield was involved in the recovery of what is claimed to be a UFO.
The about 13ft UFO remained at the base for a week, after which it was brought to Monchegorsk.
The story continues to claim the UFO was eventually opened with ultrasonic devices, uncovering a small two place cockpit.
When it was rolled out side its hangar to allow it to be studied by daylight, it is said to have exploded.


A more worldly event occurred on 8 March 1988.
A band called the 'Seven Simeons' (Russian: Семь Симеонов), consisting of seven Ovechkin broters, aged between 8 and 26 years was considered to be the visiting card of Irkutsk.
They had performed as far away as Japan and were said to be in talks with an American record label.
Having always believed they had the misfortune of being born in the USSR, they got their first taste of the Western world in Tokio and they were instantly addicted.
They decided to leave the Soviet Union with their mother and siblings.
In March they and their family of 11 in total were supposedly going to tour in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).
Their Tu-154-B2, CCCP-85413, with 170 passengers on board was hijacked by them on the final leg to Leningrad.
The hijackers wanted the aircraft to divert to London, but the pilots managed to convince them they would have to refuel to reach that destination.
They diverted to Veshchovo, telling the hijackers this was actually an airfield in Kotka, Finland.
To prove their point, they pointed at a hangar that had the words 'AIR FORCE' (in english) painted on its doors .
But soon the hijackers realised they had been deceived when they saw the familiar uniforms of the Soviet GDP.
Angered by the deception they shot and killed 29 year old stewardess by the name of Tamara Žarkaja, girlfriend of the oldest 'Simeon', Basil.
At the same time the MVD special forces stormed the aircraft and opened fire.
The Ovechkin brothers had decided they would commit suicide by bomb if their plan was to fail, however.
Their bomb did go of during the assault, but did not kill all family members immediately.
Four brothers shot each other.
Ultimately 9 people died (five of them hijackers, the stewardess, and 3 passengers as a result the poorly executed assault) and 19 were wounded (two hijackers, two militia and 15 passengers).
The entire aircraft burned out.
Two surviving family members were of legal age to be brought to justice, and were sentenced to 6 (Olga Ovechkin) and 8 (Igor Ovechkin) years.
Olga was pregnant at the time, and gave birth to a baby girl (Ludmilla) in prison.
The court assigned Ludmilla Ovechkin, who was not part of the hijack plot, custody of the under aged children and Ludmilla, the daughter of her sister.
Stewardess Tamara Žarkaja was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner.




Soviet guards, posing in front of the HAS curiously marked with 'AIR FORCE' grafitti, which was pointed out by the crew
of a hijacked Tu154 to 'prove' they had landed in Finland (veshevoaviatori.narod.ru).




The same HAS, photographed in 2010 (yaplakal.com).




Groundcrew at Veshchovo prepare a Mig-21SMT 'Fishbed' for a mission (veshevoaviatori.narod.ru)



Mig-21SMT 'Fishbeds' lined up on the platform at Veshchovo (veshevoaviatori.narod.ru)


In 1993/1994 it was decided to abandon the air base.
After the military had left the airfield immediately drew attention of the goverement of the Leningrad Oblast.
Plans were drawn to develop the airfield into a civilian cargo airfield, capable of handling up to 450 tons of cargo per year.
It was also supposed to handle traffic to the North of Russia.
The 160 million dollar plan failed however, and the airfield was privatised.
Most of the property had already been sold or stolen, and only the runway and taxiways remained.
On 31 July 2002, by decision of the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, the company was declared bankrupt, opening bankruptcy proceedings.
Sale of the property is hindered by the fact that the privatisation plan was drawn up with violations of the law.
So far, only the Russian Automobile Federation has expressed that this place would be fit for a road racing circuit.
Investors have not been found yet, though.
Despite the fact that the north-west of the Leningrad Oblast, along the border with Finland, has no airports capable of handling even light-aircraft, the former military airfield was removed from the list of alternative landing spots.
As it turns out, the former military airfield is next to worthless.
Over the years, marauders have slowly pulled it apart, piece by piece to.
They have taken out everything, from concrete plates of the runway, to all electrical cables.
In the crumbling buildings, floors have been removed, windows and door openings have been torn out, floors and stairs were damaged.
Looting of the airfield had already begun in 1994, when the military were still present at the airfield.
In a log found at the base, last updated in May 1994, the entry says:
18 april 1994: When traversing the territory, we identified the following shortcomings:
In hangar area number 4, all lampshades have been stolen, electrical panel number 2 was opened and damaged, the motor mechanism has disappeared and the gate was found left open.
In shelter number 3 the front door was broken into, the equipment located inside is partially disassembled, aluminum parts are stolen, etc."
Several Hardened Aircraft Shelters still remain in dispersal areas, as do some of the taxitracks.



Overview of Veshchovo in 2010 (Google Earth)



Remains of a taxitrack in 2010