Tonight’s Historama takes a look back at the first-ever Soviet disaster movie.

First Soviet disaster film glues 70 million people to screens

The Soviet Union had cinemagoers on the edge of their seats on this day 30 years ago, with the release of its first homegrown disaster film, “Air Crew.”

RT list of Russian films worth watching

The first part of the film builds up spectators’ attachment to the lead characters by looking at their backgrounds and relationships. In the second part, a sensational volcanic eruption and destroys the city the characters live in.

As the lava swallows up the city, a plane crew tries to evacuate people. However, it is stopped in its tracks when an earthquake rips up the runway.

The plane eventually manages to take off, but even more troubles lie in wait – among them, landing-gear failure and the plane’s tail ripping off.

Luckily, all the passengers manage to survive.

Tragic fate of first stone church in Russia

On this day in 996, Kiev's Church of the Tithes, the first Russian church built out of stone, was sanctified. Back then, Kiev was part of Russia and even Russia’s capital.

Although Mongolian tribes destroyed the original temple in 1240, another church was built in its place in the mid-19th century bearing the same name, but boasting a different design. However, it was destroyed, too, this time by the Soviet regime.

In 2005, the Ukrainian president signed a decree to rebuild the church. Unfortunately, no money has been allocated to the project, and work stands still at the construction sight.

Read more on this day in Russian history in our “Russia Now” section

­Moscow’s oldest human rights watchdog set up

The Moscow Helsinki Group – an organization which supports everyone oppressed by the government – was born on this day in 1976.

Founded by physicist and human rights activist Yury Orlov, it monitored how the Soviet Union adhered to the Helsinki Final Act.

Its pioneering efforts inspired the formation of similar groups in Warsaw Pact countries, which played key role in the fall of the communist government in Czechoslovakia.

Still operating in Russia, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the country.