Pages from the Past

70 Years Ago Flight History Was Made

This date may not mean much to the younger generations, but to older generation in USSR, Canada and the USA, June 20, 1937 will always be a day to remember.

Soviet flyers on the airplane ANT-25 flew from the USSR over North Pole to Vancouver, Washington and then great welcome by the people. This was the first flight ever made over the North Pole.

To commemorate this event a Monument to these heroes was unveiled on June 20, 1975 which was rededicated on the 50th anniversary of the flight, on June 20, 1987. To help organize the ceremony was the USA-USSR Friendship Society, besides dignitaries, cultural program, speeches and celebration of this great event in the aviation history. The Soviet plane flew 5,288 nautical miles.

The monument is dedicated to these flyers and is named the Chkalov Monument in dedication to Valeri Chkalov, Georgi Baidukov and Alexander Belyakov.

Taking part in this event were representatives from the Canada-USSR Association, Vancouver Branch. On the left is Peter Dubasov and on the right is Mary Legebokoff, while in the middle is Ambassador of USSR Yuri Dubinin.