«Летунський» період біографії Петра Франка

Abstract

This article explores the historically significant "aviation" period (1916–1919) in the biography of Petro Franko – a prominent figure in the Ukrainian national movement, cofounder of the "Plast" scouting organization, and son of the classic writer Ivan Franko. While his aviation career spanned just over three years, it was during this time that he emerged as a pioneer of Ukrainian military aeronautics. The foundation for his military endurance was laid during his youth through rigorous athletic training and education at the Lviv Academic Gymnasium.The study details Franko’s transition from a reconnaissance officer in the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen to an aerial observer in the Austro-Hungarian army. Training at the flight school in Sarajevo (Rajlovac) in 1916, he mastered the complex duties of a navigatorobserver, including aerial photography, machine-gun combat, and manual tactical bombing.A central focus of the research is Petro Franko’s role as the first head of the Aviation Department of the West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR), appointed on December 1, 1918. He faced immense logistical hurdles at the Krasne airfield, where aircraft had to be reconstructed from scraps under wartime conditions, often necessitating extreme improvisations such as stuffing aircraft tires with straw. Despite his administrative leadership position, Franko's active temperament led him to complete 40–50 combat sorties over four months. He personally conducted critical reconnaissance and bombing missions against strategic Polish positions in the Lviv sector, including Vysoky Zamok and the Cadet School. The article thoroughly examines his collaborative partnership with Colonel Jambulat Kanukov and the dramatic circumstances of his capture in January 1919, after his "Albatros" aircraft, piloted by Vasyl Kavuta, was shot down behind enemy lines. Following his release, his military aviation career effectively concluded in April 1919 when he was dispatched on a diplomatic Red Cross mission to Belgrade.Finally, the abstract traces Franko’s post-aviation life, highlighting his academic achievements as a chemical engineer in Kharkiv and his tenure as the director of his father's memorial museum. The study concludes with his tragic fate in 1941, referencing recently declassified archives which confirm his execution was directly sanctioned by the highest Soviet leadership. Today, his enduring legacy as a founder of Ukrainian military aviation is honored through the naming of the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, symbolizing the historical continuity of the national struggle for air sovereignty.