This plane, Strana Sovyetov (Country of the Soviets) flew all the way east from Moscow to New York in 1929. Another ANT-4, supposedly also registered URSS-300, had crashed in Siberia but with this replacement aircraft the crew made it to New York. Floats were fitted part of the way. On the upper nose it reads Osoaviakhim, the predecessor of DOSAAF. The ANT-4 was essentially a bomber, designated TB-1 by the Soviet air force. Photo from: The Oregon Journal / Oregon Historic Society

Valery Chkalov, Georgy Baidukov and Aleksandr Belyakov flew 9130 km (5670 miles) from Moscow across the North Pole to Vancouver, Washington, near Portland, Oregon. The ANT-25 was named Stalinsky Marshrut (Stalin's Route), referring to an earlier, 9374-km flight from Moscow to the Russian Far East by the same plane and crew. Sister ship URSS-N025-1 flew 11,500 km from Moscow to California in favourable weather in July 1937. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)