In total, twelve Mi-8s, two Mi-38s, and one Mi-26—the world’s largest helicopter—participated in the event, each bearing images of Soviet airmen who once took part in decisive battles, missions, and aerial strikes during the war. Twenty-six war heroes were symbolically “returned to the sky” as their faces were carried on the fuselages of these modern aircraft.

The coordinated tribute took place over Magadan, Ulan-Ude, Kazan, Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Moscow Region, Primorsky Kray, and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District.

According to Russian Helicopters representatives, the initiative was conceived as a way to honour the legacy of wartime aviators by returning them to the skies. “The central idea of the project was to commemorate pilots, heroes of the Great Patriotic War, and to bring them back into their element — the sky,” a spokesperson said. “Images of renowned heroes, who participated in air battles and missions, attacks and strikes against the enemy, rushed through clouds on the rotorcraft.”

Adding symbolic resonance to the tribute, the helicopters used in the event were produced at factories that once built aircraft for the war effort. During the conflict, Kazan Helicopter Plant was a key supplier of Po-2 biplanes, while the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant produced frontline fighters such as the La-5 and La-7.

The event thus served not only as a tribute to frontline airmen, but also to the workers of the wartime home front who contributed to Soviet airpower. “The event linked the past to the present by showing the feats of veterans and home front workers,” the holding said.