Girvas Air Base

The air base was closed following the disbandment of its resident aviation unit, the 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. This was a direct result of the large-scale military reforms, strategic realignment, and severe budget cuts that occurred in the Russian Armed Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The strategic need for a forward interceptor base in this specific location was reduced, and air defense assets were consolidated at other, more modern facilities.

The air base is currently abandoned and in a state of significant decay. The main runway, taxiways, and concrete aircraft shelters are still intact but are weathered and overgrown with vegetation. The site is not secured and has become a popular destination for urban explorers, photographers, and tourists visiting the nearby Girvas paleo-volcano, a local natural landmark. The long, straight runway is also occasionally used by local enthusiasts for unofficial amateur motorsports events, such as drag racing and drifting.

Girvas Air Base was a key strategic military airfield for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) during the Cold War. Constructed in the 1950s, its primary mission was to guard the northwestern airspace of the USSR against intrusion by NATO bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, protecting major industrial centers like Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and the vital Northern Fleet bases on the Kola Peninsula.

The base was home to the elite 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (57 GvIAP). Throughout its operational history, this regiment flew a succession of Soviet interceptor aircraft, starting with the MiG-17, followed by the Sukhoi Su-9, the Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon', and finally receiving the formidable Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' in the late 1980s. The base featured a long runway and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) to protect its assets, and its pilots were on constant high alert for decades.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Girvas Air Base. The cost of restoring the runway, taxiways, and support infrastructure to operational standards would be substantial. The Russian Air Force meets its current strategic needs in the region with other active airfields, such as the joint civil-military Petrozavodsk Airport (Besovets). Therefore, the reactivation of Girvas for either military or civilian purposes is considered extremely unlikely.