Kyargozero Air Base

The air base was closed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The primary reasons were severe military budget cuts, a large-scale restructuring of the Russian Armed Forces, and the disbandment of the specific air defense regiment stationed at the base. Its closure was part of a broader trend of abandoning numerous Soviet-era military installations that were no longer considered strategically or economically viable.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced dereliction. Satellite imagery shows the main runway, taxiways, and aircraft revetments (hardstands) are still intact but are severely weathered, cracked, and being reclaimed by nature, with significant vegetation growth. Most of the support buildings and infrastructure have either collapsed, been dismantled for materials, or are in ruins. The air base is non-operational and has no aviation-related function. It is occasionally visited by urban explorers and military history enthusiasts.

Kyargozero was a significant forward operating base for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) during the Cold War. Its primary mission was to intercept NATO bombers and reconnaissance aircraft approaching from the North Atlantic and Scandinavia. The base hosted the 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (57 GvIAP), which was part of the 10th Independent Air Defence Army. This regiment was equipped with Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon' interceptor aircraft, which were specifically designed for high-altitude, high-speed interception. The base's strategic location in the Republic of Karelia was critical for protecting the northwestern airspace of the USSR, including the major industrial and political center of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and the heavily militarized Kola Peninsula, home to the Soviet Northern Fleet.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen or reactivate Kyargozero Air Base. The cost of clearing the site and rebuilding the runway and all associated infrastructure to modern standards would be immense. Furthermore, its former strategic importance has been diminished by changes in military doctrine and the capabilities of modern, longer-range aircraft and air defense systems, which are now consolidated at fewer, more advanced airfields in the region.