Deruluft, the German-Bolshevik air pact
Founded in 1921, Deruluft joined German and Bolshevik interests in an airline held equally by both sides. In post-war Europe, this Berlin-Moscow air bridge was diplomatic as much as commercial.
The route follows Berlin, Danzig, Königsberg, Riga, Tallinn, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, with an extension toward Kaunas.
Air cooperation born in the margins of the Treaty of Versailles.
Connect two worlds watched suspiciously by Western Europe.
Robust, slow and credible for the period.
Long plains, cold weather and railway references.
Understanding the flight
Deruluft was not only an airline: it was an aerial consequence of post-1918 Europe. Germany sought room to develop, Soviet Russia sought connections.
The line therefore keeps a special tension: technical, political and almost clandestine in spirit.
Before departure
- Choose a vintage German aircraft.
- Use cold or misty weather for Baltic atmosphere.
- Fly regular stages like a commercial service.
- Identify major cities and railways that structure the plain.
Suggested route
Berlin and western Baltic
Berlin, Danzig and Königsberg place the line in a still unstable post-war Europe.
EDDT → EPGD → UMKK
Baltic states
Riga, Tallinn and Saint Petersburg form the Baltic passage toward Russia.
UMKK → EVRA → EETN → ULLI
Russia and Lithuanian extension
Moscow becomes the main objective, with Kaunas as a historical network extension.
ULLI → UUDD → EYKA
Experience tips
The flight is stronger if treated as a discreet line between two isolated powers.
Do not fly too high: plains, cities and railways give the scale.
Copyright Michel Lagneau 2011