On June 13, 2012 the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum hosted an event “Igor Sikorsky and his epic flight St. Petersburg – Kyiv” presented by Museum researcher Carl Bobrow. During this “ask-an-expert” lecture visitors of the Museum had a chance to learn about the first historical flight of four-engine military aircraft S-22 “Ilya of Murom”, designed and operated by famous Ukrainian engineer Ihor Sikorsky. The flight took place in June 1914 on the route St. Petersburg - Kyiv - St. Petersburg when the aircraft flew a record distance of over fifteen hundred miles.

Series of lectures about prominent persons are held traditionally in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Olexander Motsyk and the Museum leadership during a recent meeting agreed to deepen the cooperation to promote the achievements of Ukraine, its engineers and designers in the field of aviation and space at the Smithsonian Museum exhibits.