Uzunovo Airport

The airport's closure was a direct result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent large-scale military restructuring and budget cuts. The specific cause was the disbandment of the aviation training regiment based at the airfield, which eliminated its primary function and funding. It became one of many military airfields abandoned across Russia due to economic reasons in the 1990s.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The concrete runway, taxiways, and aircraft aprons are still visible but are heavily weathered, cracked, and significantly overgrown with grass and shrubs, making them unusable. Most of the airfield's infrastructure, including hangars, barracks, control tower, and technical buildings, are in ruins. Many structures have collapsed or have been stripped for building materials by locals. The area is sometimes visited by urban explorers, photographers, and occasionally used for informal auto/moto events, but it has no official function and is considered a derelict brownfield site.

Uzunovo was a significant military training airfield for the Soviet and later Russian Air Forces. It was primarily used by the Tambov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots named after M. M. Raskova (ТВВАУЛ им. М. М. Расковой). The airfield was the home base for the 644th Training Aviation Regiment (644 УАП), which operated fleets of Aero L-29 Delfin and later Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainers. For decades, countless cadets took their first flights and received primary jet training at Uzunovo before progressing to more advanced combat aircraft. Its sole purpose was to serve as a cog in the vast Soviet military pilot training machine.

There are no known official plans or realistic prospects for reopening Uzunovo Airport. The cost of restoring the airfield to operational standards would be prohibitive, requiring a complete reconstruction of the runway, taxiways, and all support buildings and infrastructure. Given its remote location and the lack of economic or strategic demand, revival is highly unlikely.