Роль Єлисаветградського товариства повітроплавання у популяризації авіаційної справи

Abstract

The article examines the history of the Elisavetgrad Society of Aeronautics (ESA), established in late 1909, and its fundamental contribution to popularizing aviation in Ukraine. The society served as a vital center for aeronautical thought, organizing theoretical lectures and hosting groundbreaking air shows at the city’s hippodrome. A central milestone discussed is the historic flight performed by Pavlo Kuznetsov in 1910, during which his wife, Domnikiia Kuznetsova-Novoliinyk, became the first woman to ascend into the sky, securing Elisavetgrad’s place in global aviation history. Furthermore, the study analyzes the synergy between aviation pioneers and local industry, emphasizing how the ESA's activities created the institutional and cultural prerequisites for the city’s eventual evolution into a major international flight training hub. This historical legacy remains a foundational element for the modern professional training programs currently implemented by the Ukrainian State Flight Academy.