Памятник на могиле русского летчика морской авиации, изобретателя и одного из первых авиаторов России Виктора Дыбовского (1884-1953) был открыт на кладбище Сент-Панкрас-энд-Ислингтон в районе Ист-Финчли на севере Лондона. В церемонии открытия надгробного монумента в виде черного куба, в центре которого помещена фотография героя Первой мировой войны и выбиты годы его жизни, приняли участие представители общественных организаций, российские дипломаты и соотечественники, а также клирик Успенского собора Сурожской епархии отец Максим Никольский, отслуживший панихиду в память об усопшем.
Содействие в установлении памятника оказало Посольство России в Лондоне, общество «Русское наследие в Соединенном Королевстве», фонд «Воинский собор», а также ряд российских соотечественников, в том числе общественный деятель Роман Фирсов, который и обнаружил место захоронения легендарного летчика.
On Friday 24 May at 12:00 a new memorial was unveiled at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery grave of the Russian aviation pioneer Victor Dybovsky (known in Britain as Dibovsky). Dybovsky was the first pilot to detect a submerged submarine in 1911, and first Russian to use radio on an aircraft. In 1912 he covered the distance between Odessa and St Petersburg in 25 flight hours, a record at the time. In 1913 he designed an airplane, “Dolphin”, remarkable for outstanding aerodynamic qualities.
During the First World War Victor Dybovsky fought bravely in the 20 Corps aviation group, earning orders of St George (award for gallantry in action), St Anna, St Stanislaus, St Vladimir and a number of medals. He was the inventor of the Scarff-Dibovski synchronization gear, used by the UK Royal Naval Air Service.
In 1916 he came to London as a head of Russian naval air mission. The revolution prevented him from coming back to Russia. In 1953 he died in London and was buried in a paupers’ grave. The grave was identified in 2011 by the researcher Roman Firsov who placed an Orthodox cross there. The new gravestone has been erected thanks to the joint effort of Russian Heritage Society and Mr Firsov, Russian Embassy in London and “Voinsky Sobor” Foundation (St Petersburg). Russian Heritage in the UK Society has been working since 2016 to study and promote the Russian-British shared history and the legacy of prominent Russians who lived in Britain.
Representatives of Russian Heritage in the UK Society, Russian Embassy in the UK and Russian Cultural Centre attended the ceremony and laid flowers commemorating Vladimir Dybovsky. The ceremony was attended by Viscount Mainland. Michael Wynne Parker, a Chairman of British branch of Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, businessman and Russian Orthodox church activist sent his warm congratulations on the event.
Fr. Maxim Nikolsky (Sourozh diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church), served panikhida, a memorial service dedicated to those who departed.