Maysionvara Air Base

The air base was closed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The primary reason was the large-scale military downsizing and restructuring of the Russian Armed Forces during the 1990s. The sole combat unit stationed at the base, the 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, was disbanded, making the airfield redundant. This was part of a broader strategic and economic decision to consolidate forces at fewer, more modern facilities.

The air base is completely abandoned and in a state of severe decay. Satellite imagery and ground reports show the concrete runway, taxiways, and distinctive arched hardened aircraft shelters are still visible but overgrown and deteriorating. The concrete slabs from the runway and aprons have been systematically dismantled over the years, likely by local companies for use as construction materials. The associated military garrison town (known as Suoyarvi-1) is also largely deserted. The site is not used for any official purpose and has become a destination for urban explorers and a source of scrap materials.

Maysionvara Air Base was a key Cold War military installation for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). Its strategic importance stemmed from its location in the Republic of Karelia, approximately 50 km from the Finnish border, positioning it as a forward interceptor base against potential NATO incursions into northwestern USSR airspace. The base was home to the 57th Guards Red Banner Putilovsko-Kirovsky Fighter Aviation Regiment (57 GvIAP). Over the years, this regiment operated various interceptor aircraft, including the MiG-17, MiG-19, Yak-25, and notably, the Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon'. In the final years before its closure (around 1990), the regiment began re-equipping with the advanced Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker', but the process was cut short by the unit's disbandment.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for the reopening or reactivation of Maysionvara Air Base. The infrastructure is too degraded to be easily restored, and its strategic role has been absorbed by other active air bases in Russia's Western Military District, such as Besovets Air Base near Petrozavodsk. A full reconstruction would be a massive financial and logistical undertaking, for which there is currently no stated military requirement.