About the book: year / The book is a documentary account of the historical development, formation and combat use of airborne units that existed in the Soviet Union in the period from 1930 to 1991. Materials are presented on the pre-war construction of the Airborne Forces, on their use in the liberation campaigns in Romania, Poland, the Baltic states and the battle of Khalkhin Gol. It tells about the combat path during the Great Patriotic War with a detailed description of structural transformations, about the largest airborne operations, about the use of airborne units as a reserve for the formation of guards rifle divisions used in the directions of the main attacks. The use of sabotage units is revealed. The section of the post-war historical period talks about the creation of special-purpose units and formations, air assault formations, naval reconnaissance points and military transport aviation. A description of the actions of the Airborne Forces and Special Forces during the events in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan and the suppression of ethnic massacres in the last years of the USSR is also given. The book provides a list of all units and formations of the Airborne Forces and Special Forces. Based on this book, several military-historical dissertations have been written, and a historical manual has been published at the Ryazan Airborne School.