Monument to Taman Aviators

The Monument to Taman Aviators is an aircraft monument at the entrance to the village of Taman in the Temryuksky District of Krasnodar Krai, on the side of the road from the settlement of Sennoy. A MiG-17 jet fighter on a pedestal honours the pilots who fought to liberate the Taman Peninsula in 1942–1943. It is one of the first sights travellers see on the way into Taman.

History

The monument commemorates the airmen who took part in the battles for the Taman Peninsula during the Great Patriotic War. German forces occupied Taman in 1942, and the area was liberated in 1943. Much of the fighting over the Kuban and the peninsula took place in the air, with Soviet pilots covering the advancing troops and engaging German fighters.

The aircraft on the pedestal is symbolic rather than a wartime type. The MiG-17 is a post-war jet fighter, but the choice is deliberate: the MiG name goes back to the fighters that the design bureau of Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich built just before the war, and it is formed from the first letters of their surnames. The first aircraft of the series appeared around 1939–1940 and fought against German Me-109 fighters.

What to see

The centrepiece is the MiG-17 fighter itself, raised on a pedestal. A plaque on the pedestal reads: "To the military aviators who took part in the battles to liberate the Taman Peninsula from the Nazi invaders." Up close you can make out the control stick in the cockpit.

The monument stands by the road, so a stop takes only a few minutes and fits easily into a visit to Taman itself, known for its history, museums and views of Taman Bay.

Getting there

The aircraft monument is at the entrance to Taman from Sennoy, on the right-hand side of the road as you drive towards the village. Coordinates: 45.22337, 36.75272. It is easiest to stop by car on the way into or out of the village.

Good to know

The monument stands in the open at the roadside, so take care with traffic when stopping by car.