Mar. 1—Watching the news coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Sikorsky spotted an old comrade.
"I am a very close friend of Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv," Sikorsky said Monday from his home in Arizona. "I've seen him on one or two of those quick little flashes that the television shows. ... Vitali is very definitely on my mind."
Sikorsky and his Connecticut-based brother, Igor Jr., both in their 90s, are the sons of the late Igor Sikorsky Sr., the Russian immigrant who invented the first practical helicopter, constructed seaplanes or "flying boats" and founded the namesake Stratford-based aircraft manufacturing giant. His name also adorns Bridgeport's Stratford-based airport.
The aviation pioneer was born in Kyiv in 1889 when it was part of the Russian empire. For that reason and other connections his sons are viewing the conflict there, and the fate of Ukraine's capital in particular, with intense personal interest.
"Mother was born in Poltava, which is a city in Ukraine. So they both were Ukrainian by citizenship but really Russian by citizenship at that time," said Sikorsky Jr., who resides in Unionville. "I am appalled by Putin. I believe that father would be, also."
Sikorsky Sr. fled Russia in the early 1900s and after living briefly in France he arrived in New York City in 1919 during the Russian Revolution which resulted in a Communist government under Joseph Stalin.
"There was no way you could get dad back into Russia while Stalin was still alive. He would have been arrested and probably executed as a quote-unquote defector or traitor or whatever," Sergei Sikorsky said. "But dad spoke, I think, quite favorably of his childhood in Kyiv. ... He had good, fond memories."
According to Sikorsky Jr., their father's home, at least until recent events, was "in terrible shape" but still standing and there had been some discussion about turning it into a museum, though nothing ever developed.
"I would say father's name in Russia is more famous than it is here. ... He's the kid who left and made good," he said. "In the Stalinist-era his name was enough to get you arrested — saying something nice about Sikorsky. But afterwards he gradually became accepted."
To the point where one of Kyiv's two international airports was a few years ago named in honor of Sikorsky Sr., as was the National Technical University of Ukraine, also located in Kyiv, that he attended. The school's website boasts he was an "outstanding aircraft designer of the 20th Century."
But, as combat rages and Russian soldiers bear down upon Kyiv, Sikorsky Sr's. sons are less worried about bricks-and-mortar tributes and more concerned about the individuals they have met from both Ukraine and Russia through familial and business connections.
"During the course of my professional career I met with and became friends with a great many of the people there in the aircraft industry," said Sergei Sikorsky, a retired Sikorsky Aircraft executive.
He last spoke with Klitschko who, along with brother Wladimir is a famous former boxer, by phone "maybe a year ago" around Christmas. He has not tried to contact him recently.
"I feel very much concerned about Vitali, about his brother and the whole Klitschko family. But right now things are very confused and quite frankly I have not been trying to get a hold of Vitali by phone. I think he's pretty busy right now."
Sikorsky Jr. said their grandfather had 11 children so there are "a bunch of Sikorskys out there." He previously visited Ukraine five years ago.
Sergei said overall he feels "pity and sadness."
"It's something I very, very deeply regret that is happening to the people of Ukraine and I'm keeping my fingers crossed," he said.
Meanwhile Sikorsky Jr. is calling on the Russian-American community "and Russians everywhere to repudiate the actions."
"This is clearly very unfortunate," he said. "And it will haunt the Russians for a lot longer than they realize."
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