The inscription on the plaque reads: “Here lived the hero of the Soviet Union, the polar aviator Mikhail Babushkin (1923-1938).” The plaque is not particularly flashy, but it is the memory of a man who explored the Arctic, the man who landed an airplane on the North Pole. It is a place of history and memory. The plaque is located on a simple, nondescript wall of a building in this once village of Bordino that was merged into the city of Moscow in 1960. Just imagine the life of Mikhail Babushkin, a man who started his military service in 1914, graduated from Gatchina aviation school in 1915, and was a pioneer of the Soviet Arctic aviation. In 1937, he participated in the flights to Soviet drifting ice station “North Pole-1” and even helped with the search for Sigizmund Levanevsky in the perilous skies of the Arctic. In 1938, he died in a flight accident and was interred at the Novodevichy Cemetery, He left a legacy of courage, innovation, and a profound respect for the unforgiving beauty of the Arctic. This plaque is a silent tribute to his bravery, a small stone in a vast city that speaks volumes about the spirit of exploration that is the soul of Russia.
Malchish-Kibalchish Statue
“Who was Malchish-Kibalchish?” I wonder if that’s what you’re asking yourselves as you gaze upon this statue. The Malchish-Kibalchish Statue