Mikhail Mil began work on rotary-winged aircraft before 1930, but the Mi-1, his first production helicopter, was begun in 1946, under a designation EG-1.

In 1952–1953, 30 Mi-1 were manufactured in Kazan, and from 1954 a mass production started in Orenburg and from 1956 in Rostov (current Rostvertol).

[5] The first production variant was Mi-1, quickly replaced by improved Mi-1T, that carried extra operational equipment including full radio and blind-flying instruments, and had more reliable engine AI-26V.

[7] A new major variant, Mi-1M in 1957 introduced an enlarged cabin and the more powerful AI-26VF engine, which allowed the accommodation of three passengers on a bench behind the pilot.

[9] Well over 1,000 of all variants were built in the USSR, including a proportion of dual-control trainers (with U suffix): Mi-1U, TU, AU, MU, with the instructor seated behind a trainee.

[1] In 1956, license-production of the four-seat model began in Poland, at WSK PZL-Świdnik, where 1,594 were built until 1965, under the designation SM-1.