September 7 is the first anniversary of the Yaroslavl air disaster, which occurred when a Yak-42 plane -- carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team -- plunged into the Tunoshna River shortly after takeoff. The aircraft failed to gain altitude and struck an airport tower mast before bursting into flames and crashing 2 kilometers from the airport. Of the 45 people on board, only one survived. Ice hockey fans around the world were shocked by the accident.
The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Air Disaster
![The crash site of the Yak-42 jet near the city of Yaroslavl on the Tunoshna River.](https://gdb.rferl.org/70ced98f-6a23-4afe-a417-bcf9dd6e24aa_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The crash site of the Yak-42 jet near the city of Yaroslavl on the Tunoshna River.
![A video still of burning wreckage shortly after the plane crashed.](https://gdb.rferl.org/43ead130-9934-49a8-a7d3-8aa0470fda56_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A video still of burning wreckage shortly after the plane crashed.
![Investigators inspect the debris of the plane at the crash site.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5bfbafa2-85fc-47d8-a7f4-4ea557d5600a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Investigators inspect the debris of the plane at the crash site.
![Then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a personal visit to the crash site.](https://gdb.rferl.org/905f995f-3fce-4031-a960-bfb9e35c9e86_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a personal visit to the crash site.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/c056e2d8-2e24-4c7e-8b9e-64763f55cbb8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Rescue workers remove a body from the crash site.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dbaef00b-070f-4e86-8ab4-2e11bf7ed80c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Rescue workers remove a body from the crash site.
![A man throws flowers at the plane crash site beside the Tunoshna River.](https://gdb.rferl.org/736f4464-0f44-4984-ade8-d95bb412921e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man throws flowers at the plane crash site beside the Tunoshna River.
![Russia's then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin flew in specially to attend a farewell ceremony for the Lokomotiv Yaroslav ice hockey players at their home arena.](https://gdb.rferl.org/de36fe99-c9bf-4a04-b620-5ed762435cf6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Russia's then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin flew in specially to attend a farewell ceremony for the Lokomotiv Yaroslav ice hockey players at their home arena.
![Thousands of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl fans attended a commemorative service at a church in the city a day after the disaster. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/d4fac502-b44e-4c50-8352-d4769fcc025e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Thousands of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl fans attended a commemorative service at a church in the city a day after the disaster.
![As a mark of respect for those killed, fans left thousands of flowers, team jerseys, and flags outside Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's arena.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fb6f7b16-5672-466d-8b92-d0d60f5fa43c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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As a mark of respect for those killed, fans left thousands of flowers, team jerseys, and flags outside Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's arena.
![Thousands of ice hockey fans also turned out on Prague's Old Town Square to mourn the victims of the crash.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8b06da33-510c-44a5-bf45-08534e90477d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Thousands of ice hockey fans also turned out on Prague's Old Town Square to mourn the victims of the crash.
![Three well-known Czech players died in the disaster. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/513acdf4-9f6b-487f-80f4-b90a021a99e4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Three well-known Czech players died in the disaster.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/25942368-9f0c-488e-a507-b898703adf79_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Two Belarusians were also among the dead. Many hockey fans turned up at the Minsk-Arena Complex to pay their respects. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/da2a29b2-fe50-4dee-93b2-924a73c71910_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Two Belarusians were also among the dead. Many hockey fans turned up at the Minsk-Arena Complex to pay their respects.