Mikhail Vladimirovich Shidlovsky was a Russian military commander. In 1915 he led the construction of Russia's first aircraft engine.
Background
Mikhail Vladimirovich Shidlovsky was born on July 20, 1856 in Novokhutornoye village, Biryuch uyezd, Voronezh Governorate (now Belgorod Oblast, Russian Federation). He comes from the noble family. He is also a descendant of Major General Fedor Shidlovsky, who was deprived of his rights and property in a conflict with A.D. Menshikov.
Education
Mikhail Vladimirovich graduated from Naval Cadet Corps in 1879 and in 1883 he started studying at Alexander Military Law Academy.
Career
Mikhail Vladimirovich was in a foreign voyage in 1880. Until 1887 he used to be a member of the Kronstadt Naval Court, then he retired. In the 1880s he was elected Chairman of the Board of the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory.
In 1888 Mikhail Vladimirovich was appointed to the Department of Civil and Spiritual Affairs of the State Chancellery. Since 1890 he was appointed assistant State Secretary of the State Assembly, and since 1893 - assistant member of the Council of the Ministry of Finance. In 1904 Mikhail Vladimirovich was a member of the Council and Finance Committee of the Baron Stieglitz's School for Technical Drawing in Saint Petersburg.
In 1910, Mikhail Vladimirovich opened an aviation Department at the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory, appointing I.I. Sikorsky as Manager and chief constructor. In 1914 he commanded the world's 1st strategic aviation unit - Ilya Muromets Airship Squadron. In 1915 he began building the Russian-Baltic automobile plant (now the Khrunichev plant). During 1915-1917 he was the chief of the airship squadron.
In 1918 Mikhail Vladimirovich was shot while trying to cross the Finnish border. According to other sources he was arrested by the Chekists on charges of espionage in 1919 and executed on January 14, 1921.