On October 7, a press conference dedicated to the transfer of two unique aircraft was held at the Oleh Antonov State Aviation Museum

On October 7, 2025, a press conference was held at the Oleh Antonov State Aviation Museum dedicated to the transfer of two unique aircraft, the An-2P and An-6, to the museum's collection. The event was attended by representatives of leading Ukrainian media outlets, and the speakers were:

Valeria Lavrenko, Director of the Oleh Antonov State Aviation Museum; Olexander Badrudinov, President of the Ukrainian Aviation Development Association (UADA); Valeriy Romanenko and Rostyslav Maraev – aviation experts, leading researchers at the Museum.

At the beginning of autumn, our open-air exhibition was expanded with two valuable exhibits – the historically unique An-2P and the rare high-altitude An-6. Both aircraft were stored at the Borodyanka airfield for decades and, thanks to the responsible attitude of the members of the ARAU, have been preserved in excellent condition. By decision of the Association, the aircraft were officially transferred to the museum's collection and now belong to the state part of the Museum Fund of Ukraine.

A special contribution to this event was made by the president of the ARAU, Olexander Badrudinov, and test pilot Alexander Likhodid, who initiated the transfer of the aircraft and ensured its implementation. "These are not just metal structures, they are the living history of Ukrainian aviation. We are glad that we were able to preserve these aircraft and transfer them to the museum, where they will get a new life. This is an extremely important event for me personally, because this aircraft is the “Mona Lisa” for museums. It is impossible to estimate the value in hryvnia of an item that is the only one of its kind in the world," said Alexander Badrudinov.

The An-2P is a multi-purpose aircraft that is distinguished by its reliability, versatility, and increased cabin comfort. The preserved condition of the aircraft allows for comprehensive restoration work, after which it will be able to return to the sky as a functioning retro exhibit.

The An-6 is a unique high-altitude aircraft, built in extremely limited numbers (up to 10 units). It is the only representative of its type preserved in Ukraine. After restoration, it will complement the exhibition of Antonov Design Bureau aircraft stored in the State Aviation Museum.

Museum director Valeria Lavrenko emphasized that the restoration team is already working on a program to restore both aircraft: "After repairs, the An-2P will be able to take to the skies again, and the An-6 will take its rightful place among the rarest Antonov aircraft in our exhibition. We are sincerely proud that from today we will have the opportunity to present the history of aircraft manufacturing in Ukraine even more broadly."

The transfer of these aircraft was an important step in preserving and popularizing the history of Ukrainian aviation, as well as evidence of fruitful cooperation between public initiatives and state museum institutions.