Ryazhsk Airfield

The closure was a direct result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The primary reasons were extensive military downsizing and the financial collapse of the DOSAAF (Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy) organization, which operated the airfield in its final years. With state funding eliminated, the training center became economically unviable.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery confirms that the concrete runways are crumbling, heavily overgrown with grass and trees, and unusable for any aviation purposes. Many of the former administrative buildings, barracks, and hangars are either in ruins or have been stripped for materials. The site is not maintained and there is no aviation activity. The area is sometimes used by locals for informal activities like driving practice.

The airfield was historically significant as the base for the Ryazhsk Military Aviation School of Pilots (Ряжская военная авиационная школа пилотов), which was established in 1940. It served as a crucial training facility for the Soviet Air Force, preparing thousands of pilots before, during, and after World War II. Operations included training on various aircraft types over the decades, starting with propeller aircraft like the Po-2 and Yak-18, and later advancing to jet trainers such as the Aero L-29 Delfin. After the formal military school was reformed, the airfield continued to function as a major DOSAAF training center, providing initial flight instruction and parachute training.

There are no known or credible plans for reopening Ryazhsk Airfield. The cost to restore the runways, taxiways, and essential infrastructure to modern standards would be prohibitive. Given its state of dereliction and the lack of strategic or economic demand, the prospects for its revival as an operational airport are virtually non-existent.