It used to be quiet and cozy here, there were benches. After the construction of the Minsk-mir man-made monster, the place became noisy and uncomfortable.
On the morning of January 8, 1954 Li-2 with five passengers on board was flying on the Tallinn route — Minsk — Leningrad. The plane gained altitude and lay down on the set course. At the time of handing out magazines and newspapers to passengers, the crew was attacked by an armed man in an Air Force uniform without shoulder straps and a woman in order to hijack the plane. Threatening with weapons, they tried to tie up the crew members, but Romashkin rushed at the woman, after which the man opened fire on him with two pistols.
The flight mechanic was hit by four bullets. The crew members (the commander of the ship I. Garanin, A. Kalinichev and V. Gladky) pinned down the intruders, and the bleeding Romashkin was given first aid.
The plane returned to Tallinn, Romashkin was taken to the hospital, where, despite the efforts of doctors, he died soon after.
By decree The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 9, 1954, for the courage and dedication shown during the detention of bandits, Romashkin was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union