Volga-Dnepr Group 20^th Anniversary

Amazing world record set!

August 15, Ulyanovsk. Nine of the world’s strongest athletes set a new world record moving An-124-100 Ruslan, the largest serial-production freighter, weighing 195 tons for 6.39 meters in 13.47 seconds! The event devoted to Volga-Dnepr Group’s twentieth anniversary and Russia Aviation Day gathered a record-breaking number of spectators, over 100 thousand.

The celebration events were attended by Grigory Rapota, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Russia President to Privolzhsky Federal Territory), Sergey Morozov, The Governor of Ulyanovsk Oblast, and Alexander Pinkov, the Mayor of Ulyanovsk City. They congratulated the Volga-Dnepr community with their jubilee anniversary, while all citizens with Russia Aviation Day! Valery Gabriel, Executive President Volga-Dnepr Airlines, also congratulated all citizens and guests of Ulyanovsk with the Aviation Day, and noted that the Ulyanovsk-made An-124-100 airplane - which had been in operation by Volga-Dnepr for 20 years now - could be called the Pride of Russia!

The main event of the day was the VD Group-organized a An-124-100 tugging show. To set a record, the world’s strongest athletes had gathered in Ulyanovsk. These included:

• Zydrunas Savickas, Lithuania, Acting Strongest Extreme World Champion,
• Mikhail Sidorychev, Russia,
• Elbrus Nigmatullin, Russia,
• Vidas Blekaitis, Lithuania,
• Stephan Peterson, Iceland, the youngest, 24-year old athlete,
• Mark Trevor Feliks, UK, the eldest of the participants,
• Tarmo Mitt, Estonia,
• Krzysztof Radzikowski, Poland, and
• Stojan Todorchev, Bulgaria.

Viewed by several thousand people, the nine athletes, using special gear attached to the nose undercarriage of AN-124, started moving the airplane from its still position. It should be noted that the airplane weight was 195 tons, i.e. 21.667 t per a person in the team! Besides, all of the crewmembers were onboard adding weight although not accounted for.

“Of course, we were very tired both after the competition and the tugging event,” said Mikhail Sidorychev, Russia, “but after becoming aware of the result it feels good.” It was for the first time ever that the world’s largest airplane was moved at such a distance by hand.

The airplane tugging process was confirmed by Vadim Goryunov, Chief Referee for Russia World Record Registration Committee, and Valentin Dikul, Honorary President of The Russia Strongest Athletes Federation, both present at the outstanding show.

“Attempts to move a Ruslan airplane were made previously, but all were unsuccessful. Today, the new Russian record was set. Relevant evidencing materials will be sent to Guinness Book of Records headquarters.”

In the evening of the same day, Volga-Dnepr made one more present for Ulyanovsk citizens in the central square of the city. It accommodated concerts by the legendary Sinyaya Ptitsa band, and famous Garik Sukachev who proudly said after the concert that he was the son of an Aviation Engineer, and Russian aviation has always been close to him.

As Sergey Morozov said at the concert opening: “It is quite symbolic that this band are here today at the celebration of the leading and innovative Russia-based company. Let’s congratulate this amazing company with their jubilee, the personnel who apart from just bringing revenue for the company and the city, also make reputation of Russia’s aviation industry. And that’s simply because they are the best in the world!”