How it was №1 15.08.1998 (1998)

A fragment of the feature film "Valery Chkalov" (1941).

On December 15, 1938, at 12:58 p.m., Valery Chkalov died during a test flight of a new fighter.

Oleg Shklovsky reads out the resolution of the commission investigating the pilot's death.

Igor Chkalov shares his memories of the day his father passed away.

Arkady Chapayev informed the family of his death.

On the same day, a version was voiced about the deliberate murder of the pilot.

Igor Chkalov talks about Chkalov's first meeting with Stalin, which took place at the central airfield named after Frunze (Khodynskoye Pole), after the demonstration of aircraft to the head of the Soviet state in 1935. Video chronicle: Tushino, May 2, 1935. "Voroshilov introduces air unit commanders and outstanding pilots to Stalin and members of the government." Valery Chkalov greets Joseph Stalin.

Airfield.

Airplanes in the sky: group flight; performing various aerobatic maneuvers.

On December 15, 1938, Yevgeny Ginzburg was at the Frunze airfield, performing several flights, together with test pilot Stepan Suprun.

Yevgeny Ginzburg tells how on December 10, while inspecting the IL-180, he discovered the left fuel pump was missing, which is why he banned flights on the fighter.

According to him, Chkalov landed the plane with a stalled engine, and during landing, the aircraft collided with workers' hangars and the pilot was hit hard, losing a lot of blood.

Chkalov could still have been saved, but they did not approach the plane for a long time, fearing an explosion.

According to Ginzburg, two commissions were created: one to clarify the technical reasons (led by Alekseyev), the second - political, which included representatives of the Kremlin (led by Merkulov).

Evgeny Ginzburg expresses incomprehension why the representatives of the manufacturer were never allowed to inspect the engine.

Evgeny Ginzburg mentions the death of the leading designer Lazarev, thrown from an electric train, several days after the incident.

Valeria Chkalova talks about the search for documents she conducted in state archives.

She cites several letters signed by Beria, the content of which, in her opinion, can be regarded as evidence of a staged plane crash that resulted in the death of her father.

Video chronicle (1938): The funeral of Valery Chkalov.

People learn from the newspapers about the death of the pilot.

Farewell ceremony in Moscow.

People walk through the hall.

The coffin with the body of Valery Chkalov.

Present at the ceremony: Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Mikhail Kalinin.

The funeral procession moves along Red Square.

Igor Chkalov talks about Stalin's offer to Chkalov to transfer to party work.

In 1937, when Valery Chkalov ran for the Supreme Soviet, there were seven assassination attempts.

According to Igor Chkalov, his father had a great and, most importantly, positive influence on Joseph Stalin.

Video chronicle: Fragment of the documentary film "Sons of the Soviet Motherland".

Meeting Valery Chkalov at the Moscow train station.

Ceremonial ride through the city.

Olga Chkalova speaks of her father's great popularity, and of the jealousy of this popularity in certain circles.

She says that her father had recently been sleeping with a revolver under his pillow.

Igor Chkalov points out the fact that some people, one way or another involved in the investigation of Valery Chkalov's death, either disappeared, were killed, or imprisoned, and upon release were also killed.

In particular, he points out the fact that his father could have landed the plane safely if he had retracted the landing gear, but the landing gear was locked (fixed).

This is also confirmed by Evgeny Ginzburg.