Tamara Amelina

Athos from space. Unique shots of astronauts

Athos is a favorite place that I have observed from space

“On Earth, in the temple, the presence of God is felt much brighter, much more clearly. We returned on Holy Week, and the first service in six months is Easter, it's beyond words! That's where the launch pad in the Sky is. This is where the real closeness to the Creator was!”

Sergei Ryzhikov

Russian test cosmonaut of the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps. 121st cosmonaut of Russia (USSR).

He made a space flight as a crew commander of the Soyuz MS-02 transport manned spacecraft and a flight engineer for the crew of the International Space Station in October 2016-April 2017. Member of the main space expeditions ISS-49/50. The flight duration was 173 days 3 hours 15 minutes 21 seconds.

Reserve Lieutenant Colonel.

Post on Earth and in space

– Astronauts have different traditions before the flight, many of them even mystical. And, at the same time, a prayer service is always performed in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra before the flight. How does it all fit in?

- Humanity has always been characterized by the understanding that we are connected with something inexplicable to us. In Soviet times, for obvious reasons, everything was replaced by hoaxes, different traditions. This is understandable and probably justified. And in our time, since there is an opportunity not only to reflect on this, but also to voice it, without fear of consequences, old traditions and new ones are combined.

The prayer service at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which you mentioned, is not obligatory, participation in it is at the choice of the crew, because people are different, and everyone has their own worldview. This tradition was introduced back in the 60s by Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. He was the first to go to the Lavra, and then he drove some more crews there. Our confessor is a historian by education, he tried to find out everything thoroughly. And now it is already natural both before the start of a space flight, and at the end too.

– When you are on Earth, you probably observe fasts as a believer. And in space?

- There are things that you don’t really want to talk about openly, because they are secret.

Yes, of course, I try to keep the posts. But it's not an end, it's a means. And this tool must be used wisely, and, already having a little earthly experience, you understand that this is also necessary in orbit. It was very joyful and surprising for me that this could be done without consequences for work, for the body. I understood the concern of our doctors when I said at the training that during this period it would be desirable for me to provide such a diet. Thanks to our crew doctor who supported me. Everything here is open to specialists, you can’t create something personal on your own, so I said this in advance. The Advent passed with joy and without any difficulties. But I already had to put up with the Great, because they put pressure on me, they said: you have to eat fish, like it or not.

– In difficult conditions, in the same Yakutia, for example, they never refuse fish.

- Yes, even as in Solovki.

– But still, you couldn’t take communion for six months, of course.

- Of course, yes, it is impossible.

Callsign "Favor"

– And it turns out that your last (or, as pilots and cosmonauts say - extreme) expedition turned out to be the most religious - that's what the journalists called it.

I would not agree with this definition. Many previous crews did not hide their faith, and shrines, a particle of the relics of St. Sergius and the Moscow saints Peter and Philip, Great Martyr George, and crosses flew with the guys, all with a blessing. accompanied, met the crews. I do not think that our expedition is any special, something different. Valery Grigorievich Korzun is the main altar boy in our church. Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov flew with the relics of St. Sergius.

– Tell us about your call sign "Favor".

“I have been looking for it for a long time. And he went to the children, and consulted here, in the center, with old-timers, with specialists. I remember how we had the first test under the general space training program - work in a sound chamber, and it was necessary to choose a call sign. And at that moment I chose Mir. I liked it somehow, because the meaning of this word is not only the world in terms of "without war" and the reality surrounding us, but I also read that, it turns out, a rural settlement used to be called "peace". Since I have peasant roots, this call sign was close to me - a community, some kind of close world ...

But I understood that this call sign was not phonetically sonorous and, perhaps, too loud. In general, when all my searches had already dried up, I simply asked the priest. And he immediately hit me in the forehead - "Favor". At first I doubted, it's so loud, it's even louder than Mir. "Well, look, think." My repeated attempts to come up with a call sign did not lead to anything. And now I understand how right the priest was, he instantly hit the mark. And when I proposed it to the crew on August 19, the guys supported me.

– And did you design the emblem yourself?

- Yes, the emblem too. It was not an easy path for her. There were different options. And as a result, Andrei Babkin, a cosmonaut of the 2010 recruitment, was very helpful, he is very fond of symbols. Thanks to him and Viktor Nikolaev, as well as his foreign friends, the emblem turned out like this in the end. Pleases.

Hegumen Job (Talats)

Crew emblem under the ISS-49/50 expedition program

– Moreover, August 19 - the feast of the Transfiguration - is also your birthday. And Tabor, and in the Starry temple of the Transfiguration, and in your small homeland, too, the temple of the Transfiguration. It's interesting how things turn out.

– Well, we don’t put it together, it turns out that way.

Athos from space is not just a geographical object

Favor from space

– You were on Athos before the flight. Was it your personal initiative?

“I have dreamed about this for a long time, of course. In March last year, after the “duplication”, I was given 10 days of vacation before further training as part of the main crew, and I flew during Lent to Athos. I received my share of that positive charge, which, probably, to a certain extent, helped me to pass these six months and cope with the difficulties that arose at that moment. Well, and most importantly, I managed to visit that holy place. Maybe these are big words, but the people who live there cover our planet and all of us with their love, their prayer. Amazing place. And, probably, this is one of the most favorite places that I have observed from space, photographed.

Athos from space

– Does it look different somehow?

“Of course it looks different. It's one thing to walk on Earth and look at a mountain...

– No, I mean compared to other places from space. As they said about Optina, the astronauts even saw a ray of light from this place.

- I also read Nina Pavlova about this beam, and, I confess, I never bothered to clarify with the astronauts. I found out who was flying at that time, looked at all these dates, but those people are all retired, and I didn’t manage to talk to them and ask how it was, how they saw it, in what form. I can’t say for myself that I saw something unusual from orbit.

Although, of course, the aurora borealis on Epiphany night is an unusual phenomenon, beautiful, spectacular, and such a holiday is also a big plus. It was above Russia, from the north-west somewhere above St. Petersburg it began and spread towards the Urals. Very beautiful. Impressive. But there is something so unusual on Athos... He is handsome, he is easy to find, but I would not say that he possessed something so special. Although, of course, the mountain itself is unique. And from whatever angle the orbit trace passes, you look at it and understand that this is not just a geographical object, it is something much more.

Sea of ​​Galilee and Mount Tabor

– Such a question: is God closer in orbit or on Earth?

– The height of the station's orbit is about 400 kilometers. There are twice as many to St. Petersburg as to space, if only in terms of distance. And I didn’t feel that God was closer there. Father Job said quite accurately that God is closer to those who have a purer heart. And in orbit there was no particular opportunity to clean it, even I would say that some kind of distance occurred, because there is work, a routine. And, in general, the heart is not cleansed, but coarsened. On Earth, in the temple, the presence of God is felt much brighter, much more clearly. We returned on Holy Week, and the first service in six months is Easter, it's beyond words! That's where the launch pad in the Sky is. This is where the real closeness to the Creator was!

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Star City

« I didn’t think about death at all.”

– When you were preparing, and during the flight itself, did you understand that you were at a very big risk? Everything could happen. Was there a fear of death? What helped you overcome it? And were there any situations when the Lord definitely helped, intervened in the course of circumstances?

– Over the years of preparation, we have become accustomed to the fact that for the most part everything goes in an orderly, planned, coordinated manner and without serious excesses. Although different things happened, but, in general, they did not go beyond the limits bordering on life and death. Therefore, there was a mood, an understanding that everything had already been “licked”, everything had already been worked out both on Earth and in technology, and the crew was well prepared, and, in general, everything should be normal, calm, without any incidents. Therefore, I did not think about death at all.

Before the start

But when I talked with my crewmates, I saw their reverent relationships in the family, I saw how this worries their families. And, of course, my family was also worried. And at that moment I realized that there was fear, but not for myself, but for the crew, and rather not fear, but a real awareness of the possible danger and my responsibility for the guys as a commander.

Before the start / Sergey's family at Baikonur

"I dreamed of becoming a pilot"

– How many years have you been waiting for an expedition into space?

- 10 years.

– It was difficult to? Or did you know for sure that you would eventually end up in space?

Of course, it was impossible to know for sure. But I believed, waited, hoped. This is the average time. Those guys who were ahead of us were waiting for their flight for about the same amount. So I was set for about the same time.

– How did this dream come about? Is it such a childish “I want to be an astronaut” or is there another way?

– As a child, of course, we dreamed about space, but these dreams were inherent in many at that time. Then everyone dreamed. More consciously, I dreamed of becoming a pilot. For me, it was a choice from early childhood, for which I consistently walked, prepared.

Astronautics periodically emerged and went into the shadow of aviation, but there was an understanding that this was something too high, sky-high, unattainable. Of course, I read books, was interested, periodically dreamed about space, but these dreams were on the verge of the impossible, something distant. Therefore, I consciously made a decision when I found out that there is a recruitment for the cosmonaut corps, that a simple pilot has the opportunity to test his strength.

– You visit America and work with American astronauts. To what extent is training in Russia more difficult, harder? Do you have any impression about the difference in preparation - for joint work or for some preparatory moments?

– Since we have been working together for quite a long time, we learn from each other and complement each other. For example, together with the astronauts, as part of our preparations for the space flight, we passed survival tests in various conditions. And they also have training in operations in extreme environments, but they are carried out in a slightly different form.

For example, an underwater test, when astronauts in the laboratory under water, at a depth of 19 meters, are provided with conditions close to those of living on an orbital station, or a long period of survival in caves. By now, you have probably heard that the experiment is being conducted in Hawaii, where its participants live on the base in isolation for 8 months. But this is not selection and not preparation, this is a little different, this is already an experiment in preparation for work on another planet.

– Is isolation in Hawaii a mental or physical test?

– Psychological, experimental. Diverse (7 people) team carries out certain scientific programs. And, of course, they are also observed in terms of psychological interaction.

"I'm not a woman, I'm an astronaut"

– How was it for you to work with a woman astronaut? Why don't we have female cosmonauts in Russia?

- Russia is still closer to the concept that for a woman the main profession is to be a mother. Maybe that's why. As they say, an astronaut has no gender, male or female. After all, outer space is a hostile environment for the human body, and there will be no concessions, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. And there, too, there is such an understanding that "I am not a woman, I am an astronaut." But this is their choice, I have no right to condemn anyone. And in professional terms, these women have something to respect, because they have an extremely responsible attitude, maximum display, high professionalism. And, of course, in terms of joint work, it somehow didn’t suit us to lag behind, so we had to catch up, try, be on the level.

– Still, the mentality is really different. "I'm not a woman, I'm an astronaut" ...

- Yes, not a bit to give in, to be both physically and professionally on a level with men, without any concessions.

– Was it a little strange?

- Yes, for us, of course, a little unusual perception.

But understand that not everything is so rigid and parallel-perpendicular. A woman in any situation remains a woman, she never stops taking care of herself, she always looks good, cooks deliciously.

And I really enjoyed preparing for the flight and working with them. They are very adaptive, friendly, open, and not strained, not artificial, and always ready to help at any moment. None of our requests went unanswered. In general, I have the most positive, kind memories of both the preparation and the joint work. It was very interesting.

– What language did you communicate in?

- In the well-known - "Runglish", that is, they try to use the Russian language more, we - English. The task is this: to convey the necessary information as quickly as possible and, accordingly, to perceive it back without any difficulties. If we perform some experiments or work using Russian technology, then, of course, the terminology is Russian, if English, then English. Well, even the spoken language combines both languages.

“The first visit to Zvezdny is unforgettable”

– What sticks in your memory the most? When were you already on the ship, or when did you arrive at Zvezdny?

- Of course, the first visit to Zvezdny is unforgettable.

– Did you come when you joined the detachment?

- No, I first came for an interview, then for a medical commission, and then I came to be selected. Although, when I served in the regiment as a pilot, I twice came to Zvezdny to rotate in a centrifuge for a scheduled stationary medical examination. But when, with understanding, with other tasks, I crossed the threshold of the checkpoint, I saw these pine trees, looking up, of course, there were associations with a new aspiration, with rockets. It was unforgettable, very powerful impression.

I remember it was in May. I came to the medical examination, walked from the train, there is a very beautiful forest, lilies of the valley around. There was a fragrant, solemn inner feeling of some kind of involvement or future involvement in something big. Probably even more memorable than landing in a rocket. There have already been technical moments, no longer up to impressions, not up to emotions, this is already work.

- When I watched the video about your landing, you had such a look ... Maybe I interpreted it that way, but there was a feeling that you looked at the sky, at the earth: yeah, everything is in place, normal.

- Yes, when the main post-landing operations were over, the hatch was opened and moved to a chair, that is, the main, most important work was already left behind, and it was possible to give free rein to some sensations. Indeed, we have not been on Earth for half a year, it is our own: there are smells, and people, and meetings, and views. Of course, this all had some effect. Therefore, it was possible to indulge a little.

– After your flight, has something changed in relation to the Earth, to people?

– Of course, one cannot remain indifferent. Globally, the flight does not change the general worldview, but it introduced some adjustments to the worldview. Indeed, our spaceship "Earth" is small, indeed fragile, in need of our common reverent protection. And the perception of the continents is different, if you really look at them, and not just imagine them from school geography textbooks. Of course, it leaves its mark.

– Did the dream of being a pilot come from the encirclement? Friends influenced, or someone else?

- My grandfather served in aviation, fought, reached Koenigsberg as part of a bomber regiment on Boston aircraft, which were supplied under Lend-Lease. And he told something, of course, in childhood. I was born in the city of Bugulma, in the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and then my parents moved to the Tyumen region, I was a year old.

But, since we flew to grandparents at least once a year, or even more often, the plane was already a familiar concept for me, and, of course, bewitching. I was always drawn to see and read everything on the plane, check all the hatches, and look into the cockpit - this is generally happiness.

Sergey with his parents

We once flew a small L-410 from Yeysk to Rostov, then I finished the second class. I saw that the pilots' partitions between the cockpit and the cabin were not completely closed, there was a crack. We sat in the front seat, I put my head in the crack and watched the actions of the crew, and the pilot saw me. Come here, he says. He put me on my knees - here it is, the limit of children's happiness! I am sitting on the pilot's lap, holding on to the helm. Here, of course, the decision to become a pilot was made unambiguously.

There were no situations when you do not know what to do

– Tell me, did the preparation and the flight itself differ in some way? You probably endured much more overloads on this centrifuge than later in flight.

- Well, of course. Imagine, the cosmonauts of the first sets generally experienced 20-fold overloads, that is, with a very large margin. Scientists, experts tried to find out the margin of safety of a person in case of a variety of emergency situations. Of course, everything was simpler with us: although the maximum overloads are approximately twice the regular ones, they correspond to those that can and have happened in history. They are normal in terms of tolerance, especially the g-forces that astronauts experience differ from those in aviation, in the direction of their impact and in the degree of their effect on the body, on the human condition. In aviation, a little more difficult, heavier.

– Have there been any situations when you did not know how to behave, what to do? Or did you work everything out in advance?

– Manned cosmonautics has been living and developing for half a century. And, of course, with each flight, certain knowledge and developments are added to the common piggy bank based on the post-flight reports of the crews, on the basis of regular and abnormal working situations. Specialists work, everything is improved. There are medicines with a large supply, you can always combine them, get out of the situation. In general, there were no situations where you could say “I don’t know what to do”. Neither in preparation, nor during the flight. Some difficulties, of course, arose, but they were solvable, working, both from the point of view of preparation, and from the point of view of some ingenuity, a way out of the situation using the available available methods.

"To Mars? Always ready!"

– When you were asked at a press conference if you were ready to fly to Mars, you perked up so much: “Always ready!” And in this regard, I remember Georgy Grechko. He said that if Korolev had lived longer, we would certainly have been on Mars by now. Although no one canceled the radiation.

- Yes, this is the main obstacle to the implementation of this program now.

– Yes Yes. But still, why are you so excited? It feels like it's really your dream.

- The fact is that, as I said, the decision to choose a life path was made at a mature age, and I had two years to prepare. I learned about recruitment into the cosmonaut corps in 2004, when I was undergoing a medical examination at a military hospital in Moscow. And we were selected only in 2006 - two years later.

And, in general, during this time I became very interested in the history of astronautics, I read a lot. And, of course, books about Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and other pioneers of astronautics. I think that, despite the high responsible positions they hold, they carried the grain of their dream through their whole lives. For example, Friedrich Zander began his every morning with the words: "Forward - to Mars."

Of course, for them the realization of interplanetary flights was the driving force behind all their aspirations. Although outwardly, of course, they worked for the country, for defense. Therefore, I agree with Georgy Mikhailovich that they would probably have already visited Mars if Sergei Pavlovich were alive. Because he was an active person of the world level, a brilliant organizer.

Indeed, this is incomprehensible to the mind - a man flew into space 16 years after the end of the war. The country was recovering from devastation - and to make such a breakthrough! Our modern cosmonautics is largely based on the discoveries and design solutions of those years: launch pads, the appearance of ships and orbital stations, schemes of launch vehicles, etc. The backlog was so powerful that it allows developing the topic for decades to come.

– And even if the flight is one way, would you be ready?

- I think that, firstly, no one would go for it.

– From the guide?

- Certainly. Still, no matter how grandiose and large-scale goals may be, human life is the greatest value. Therefore, it is impossible in terms of setting the problem as such. If you say that I am ready for one way, psychologists would obviously be interested in such an answer. I always tune in to the positive - back and forth. (smiling)

– Did you communicate a lot with Georgy Mikhailovich Grechko?

- I had the opportunity to meet him and talk to him when I served in the regiment in Transbaikalia, and, probably, this was our longest communication. He flew to Chita to his friends, and at the same time to relax in a sanatorium. After an interview on local television, I managed to personally meet Grechko and chat. I then opened up to him about my intention and received some advice and a blessing: come on, dare, go ahead!

– So you can say that he also influenced your choice?

- Yes, yes, of course. It turned out that not only influenced me, but also, as it turned out, Andrei Borisenko. When he studied at school and studied at the Young Cosmonauts Club, Georgy Mikhailovich also supported them, came to the club and encouraged the guys for future achievements.

– Are there people you would like to look up to, whom do you remember in difficult times?

- In aviation, professionally, we have always looked up to our commanders. In many ways, they were an example for us. The same is true in astronautics. I do not forget how lucky I was to work in the hydrolab with Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko.

He is already an experienced cosmonaut, at that time there were four flights, and I was still somewhere in the middle of the way to the first one, and nothing can replace the experience of joint training with such a competent person. Many of those who were ahead, of course, are an example for us.

"Apple trees will bloom on Mars"

– In space, you conducted many scientific experiments, you said that you grew some vegetables and salads, and even ate. At the same time, terrible mutations occur under the influence of radiation. How did you eat it all? Was it not scary?

- We ate salads grown in the American segment. It was our colleagues who treated us from their installation.

– Did they eat by themselves?

- Certainly. The fact is that samples of grown plants had previously been sent to Earth, they were examined, and therefore received the go-ahead for their consumption on board. You understand that everything is regulated, you can’t just make a decision.

– But, nevertheless, apples of a kilogram are growing right now?

- Apple trees will bloom on Mars, but for now ...

– No, wait. One of the cosmonauts said that from seeds from space they grow some kind of unusual frost-resistant cotton and also apple trees, and then apples weighing up to a kilogram. My neighbors in the country asked me to ask you for a seed.

- A seed? Apparently, I have a gap in preparation here. Moreover, according to this experiment, Andrey Borisenko worked with our greenhouse, he was supposed to grow pepper. This is the first time I hear about these apples.

– But at least tell me about some experiment.

- We managed, if we are talking about nutrition, to work on a probiotic. In February, the equipment for this experiment was delivered to us on the fifth truck, we installed a new "glavbox" and carried out the re-stamping of the solution into a dry probiotic. And in the future, experts determined its qualities, its readiness for eating. And since this product is necessary for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract during long-term space flights, we hope that this will be a step not only towards experimental, but already to regular use on board.

– Maybe you will tell something that we do not know about astronauts, that is, you will reveal some secret? We certainly have a very wrong idea about life on the space station.

- Why is it wrong? Once Georgy Mikhailovich Grechko said very succinctly: “What are the secrets? It’s just that ordinary people work in unusual conditions.” And the conditions are really unusual. Even after six months of the expedition, I still could not enjoy the state of weightlessness, the ability to move, fly, like ... (Laughs) Truly an indescribable feeling! This is probably the most important distinguishing feature - the constant presence in this state. I'm not talking about the opportunity to observe beauty and the earth's surface in general.

Depending on the current day, we conduct some experiments, determining their sequence and volume. And we try, if time is freed up, to complete the so-called task-list. These are additional tasks that are not the main ones, but are performed by the crew if there is time, opportunities and desire, although the desire is always present, and time is not always enough. As a rule, these works are connected with the earth's surface - observation, photography, filming.

Time for lunch. Immediately after lunch, continued work, the same physical education. And in the evening, the conference was already on the results of the day and on the upcoming tasks for the next day, verification of radiograms, clarification of features, clarification of tasks. The crews put their questions to the MCC the next day in order to get answers in the morning and start working with a full understanding of the task. Next is personal time, which, of course, is relatively personal. Dinner, getting ready for bed. We sleep according to the schedule - from 21:30 to 6:00.

– What did you read there, what films did you watch? What did you do in your personal time?

- Again, Georgy Mikhailovich Grechko said: "Every minute in orbit is important, because such expensive government costs." I flew there with this feeling, as a child carried it all. To be honest, it was a pity for me to have time to watch movies, to read. I did this only during physical education: here you are running for half an hour on the track - you turned on something sent by the MCC, the psychological support group of the crew, from your relatives, maybe you can watch a small video sketch, listen to the radio, not live, but already cut out piece. That's all.

I watched the film in its entirety once, and then in the American segment. At the end of the working week, we usually gathered at our place, and the next day, on Saturday, we gathered at our partners, it was a joint dinner for the crews. It was possible to discuss current problems and future ones. And, of course, relaxing a little, joking, talking over dinner is also a way to relieve the emotional stress that has accumulated over the week. Well, as for the books ... I didn’t master a single one to the end. Only about St. John of Shanghai I read with a bang in a week, the book was so interesting.

- Well, what are you! Just like in aviation: you completed a certain set of flights, achieved a certain class qualification, see if there are any opportunities to move on? And, of course, you strive and work in this direction. And here we have a very extensive field for activity.

To say that the dream has come true... Of course, it has come true, but that doesn't mean that's all. This is just the beginning, and we need to continue to develop. We have not done so much yet, for example, a spacewalk, unfortunately, was not provided for our expedition. A lot of work that I did not do, because they were planned for other guys, and I watched with quiet envy that they did it, but I didn’t have a chance. (Laughs)

There is still a lot of work, and it is interesting to me, I really liked all the experiments. And not only experiments, but work in general, it is so exciting and interesting. So there is a lot of work ahead. There are also many dreams and aspirations for future work.

– And what awaits the astronaut profession in the foreseeable future?

- Of course, I would very much like to say that there will be development in terms of technology - the arrival of new ships, new carriers, new launch pads, new stations, or at least modules, new larger tasks, involving not only such specialists into orbit like a pilot or engineer, but also doctors, agronomists. I read about it as a child, and so far, in the form in which it was read and dreamed of, much has not yet been realized.

Therefore, I simply believe, I hope that we will consider our work not only as a way to receive wages, but at least as a little closer to what the people who created this technique half a century ago felt, and who invested all their soul, all their aspiration into this matter. Then, probably, there will be some large-scale breakthroughs and serious achievements.

– Do you have something to say to readers and earthlings in general?

“I am also an earthling!”

– The rest.

– I would like to wish the crew of our spaceship named “Planet Earth” a successful flight, a careful, reverent attitude towards their spacecraft and all the crew members who inhabit it.

I would like to somehow transfer to Earth the atmosphere that exists on board the station, it is very attentive there, not allowing not only conflicts, but even discordant thoughts. At the very least, we must try to work in this direction so that hostility and misunderstanding are not only defeated, but at least leveled by a common understanding of our joint flight in space and time, and love for everything that surrounds us, and to each other, of course.

If everyone who reads Pravmir subscribes to 50 rubles. per month, it will make a huge contribution to the opportunity to spread the word about Christ, about Orthodoxy, about meaning and life, about family and society.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov, commander of the crew of the next mission to the International Space Station, is not only a deeply religious person, but also has the rank of a clergyman. In October-December 2014, he served as a psalm reader in the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, which is located in the American city of Houston, according to the official website of the church.

Blogger Rustem Adagamov drew attention to this fact. In his microblog Twitter he published one of the photographs of Ryzhikov in church vestments and with an icon in his hands, standing next to the priest, and wrote: "On the right is the psalmist Sergei Ryzhikov, part-time cosmonaut, who has now gone to the ISS on the Soyuz MS-02.

The website of the temple reports that Ryzhikov served in it, being in Houston on a business trip related to his profession. "Sergey is a modest, pious Christian, attentive to the choir and altar obediences. During his business trip to Houston, Sergei was in our church at all services, prayers, memorial services," the message says.

On the right is the psalmist Sergei Ryzhikov, part-time cosmonaut who has now gone to the ISS on Soyuz MS-02 pic.twitter.com/6VW4rwzDt7

— Rustem Adagamov (@adagamov) October 21, 2016

The text also notes that Ryzhikov "came to the liking of all our parishioners, who fell in love with him for his sincere kind heart and deep faith, for his constant readiness to help in everything: both at divine services and at work on the improvement of church premises and territory."

The cosmonaut also presented the church with a handwritten icon of his heavenly patron, St. Sergius of Radonezh.

The website of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center says that Ryzhikov was born on August 19, 1974 in the city of Bugulma, Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1996 he graduated from the Kachinsky Higher Military Aviation Pilot School, qualified as a pilot-engineer. Since February 2007, by order of the RF Ministry of Defense, he has been enrolled in the cosmonaut corps of the RGNITsPK for the position of candidate for test cosmonauts; since June 2009 - test cosmonaut.

According to Wikipedia, Ryzhikov is divorced. He brings up his son Ivan, who is a cadet of the gymnasium, created in the St. Alekseevsky desert near Pereslavl-Zalessky.

On October 19, 2016, Ryzhikov went into space on the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft, which carried members of the crew of the ISS-49/50 expedition. In addition to him, the crew included Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko and NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough. On October 21, the Soyuz MS-02 successfully docked with the ISS. At 15:20 Moscow time, after a successful docking, the crew members transferred from the ship to the station, reports

ISS astronauts

RYZHIKOVSERGEY NIKOLAEVICH

test cosmonautROSCOSMOS

FLIGHTS: 1

TOTAL FLIGHT: 173 days

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: was born on August 19, 1974 in the city of Bugulma, Tatar ASSR.

EDUCATION:

• in 1991 he graduated from secondary school No. 12, in the same year - the Club of Young Aviators in the city of Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen Region,
• in 1991 he entered the Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School named after I.S. Polbina. In connection with the disbandment of the OVVAUL, he was transferred to the Kachin Higher Military Aviation Pilot School, which he graduated in 1996 with a degree in Command Tactical Fighter Aviation with the qualification of a pilot-engineer.

EXPERIENCE:

• after graduating from an aviation school from 1996 to 1997 he served as a pilot of a training aviation regiment in the Saratov region,
• from February to July 1997 he served as a senior pilot of the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 76th Air Army in Andreapol, Tver Region,
• From July 1997 to February 2007, he served as a pilot, senior pilot, commander of an aviation unit, chief of staff - deputy commander of an aviation squadron, commander of an aviation unit of a fighter aviation regiment of the 23rd Air Army and the 14th Air Force and Air Defense Army st. Domna of the Chita region,

By the time he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps, he mastered the L-39, MiG-29 aircraft. Has a total flight time of over 700 hours. Military pilot 2nd class. He has the qualifications of "officer-diver", "instructor of parachute training". Completed more than 350 parachute jumps.

PREPARATION FOR SPACE FLIGHTS:

• in October 2006, by the decision of the Interdepartmental Commission for the selection of cosmonauts, he was enrolled as a candidate for cosmonauts in the cosmonaut corps of the RGNITsPK them. Yu.A. Gagarin as part of the 14th set,
• from February 2007 to June 2009 he underwent general space training, after successfully passing the exams, he was awarded the qualification "test cosmonaut",
• from July 2009 to January 2014 he was trained as part of a group of specialization and improvement,
• from January 2013 to December 2014, he served as deputy shift flight leader for training the crew of the Chief Operator (ZSRP for PE-GO) at MCC-M,
• from December 2014 to March 2016, he was preparing for a space flight as part of the ISS-47/48 backup crew as the commander of the Soyuz TMA-20M TPK and the ISS flight engineer,
• Since March 2016, he has been trained as a member of the ISS-49/50 prime crew as a Soyuz MS-02 TPK commander and an ISS-49/50 flight engineer.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:

• 1st space flight performed from October 19, 2016 to April 10, 2017 - performed as Soyuz MS-02 TPK commander and ISS-49/50 flight engineer with ROSCOSMOS cosmonaut Andrey BORISENKO and NASA astronaut Shane KIMBROW. During his work on the ISS, he conducted dozens of experiments from various fields of science under the Russian scientific program (medicine, space biology, biotechnology, physical and chemical processes, etc.). Carried out work with Russian and foreign cargo ships, maintenance of on-board systems of the International Space Station, on-board photography and video filming. Flight duration: 173 days. 03 o'clock 16 min. Call sign: "Favory".

HONORARY TITLES AND AWARDS:

• medals of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: "For distinction in military service" I, II and III degrees, "For military prowess" II degree;
• the title of "Veteran of military service";
• departmental award of Roscosmos - the badge "For the promotion of space activities";
• Gratitude of the Governor of the Moscow Region.

HOBBIES: travelling, reading, music, sports.

A graduate of the Nizhnevartovsk school, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov, who led another expedition to the ISS, served in an Orthodox church in the United States. In October-December 2014, he held the rank of psalm reader at the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, which is located in Houston, according to the official website of the temple.

Blogger Rustem Adagamov drew attention to this fact. In his microblog on Twitter, he published one of the photographs of Ryzhikov in church vestments and with an icon in his hands, standing next to the priest, and wrote: “On the right is the psalmist Sergey Ryzhikov, part-time cosmonaut, who has now gone to the ISS on the Soyuz MS-02 “.

The website of the temple reports that Ryzhikov served in it, being in Houston on a business trip related to his profession. “Sergei is a modest, pious Christian, attentive to the choir and altar obediences. During his business trip to Houston, Sergei was in our church at all services, prayers, memorial services, ”the message says.

The text also notes that Ryzhikov "came to the liking of all our parishioners, who fell in love with him for his sincere kind heart and deep faith, for his constant readiness to help in everything: both at divine services and at work on the improvement of church premises and territory."

The cosmonaut also presented the temple with a handwritten icon of his heavenly patron, St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Note that Sergey Ryzhikov was born on August 19, 1974 in Bugulma. He graduated from the 12th school of the city of Nizhnevartovsk. He studied at the Wings of Samotlor aviation center and always dreamed of becoming a pilot. Immediately after graduation, Sergey entered the Orenburg Air Force Flight School, served as a senior pilot, flight commander, chief of staff - deputy squadron commander, air flight commander of the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 14th Air Army, mastered the L-39 and MiG aircraft -29, having flown more than 400 hours, Sergey Ryzhikov has 110 parachute jumps. In 2006, at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the selection of cosmonauts, Sergei Ryzhikov was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps for general space training. He passed the state exams at the TsPK with an "excellent" grade. According to Wikipedia, Ryzhikov is divorced. He brings up his son Ivan, who is a cadet of the gymnasium, created in the St. Alekseevsky desert near Pereslavl-Zalessky.

On October 19, 2016, Ryzhikov went into space on the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft carrying members of the ISS-49/50 expedition crew. In addition to him, the crew included Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko and NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough. On October 21, Soyuz MS-02 successfully docked with the ISS. At 15:20 Moscow time, after a successful docking, the crew members transferred from the ship to the station, the Roscosmos website reports.

Before the flight, Ryzhikov told the media that he planned to take icons, the Gospel, letters from relatives, and stones from Mount Tabor (Israel) into space with him. "Favor" will also become the call sign of the crew

He made a space flight as a crew commander of the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft.

Sergey Ryzhikov was born on August 19, 1974 in the city of Bugulma, Republic of Tatarstan. After graduating from secondary school No. 12 and the Young Pilots Club in 1991, he entered the Orenburg Higher Military Aviation Pilot School. A year later, in connection with the dissolution of the Orenburg VVAUL, he was transferred to the Kachinsk Higher Military Aviation Pilot School, which he graduated in October 1996 with a degree in command tactical fighter aviation with the qualification of a pilot-engineer.

From October 1996 he served as a pilot in the training aviation regiment of the 37th Air Army in the urban-type settlement of Sennaya, Saratov Region, and from February to July 1997 he was appointed senior pilot of the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Special Forces Command of the 76th Air Army in the city of Andreapol, Tver region.

Further, he served as a pilot, senior pilot, flight commander, chief of staff - deputy squadron commander, air flight commander of the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 14th Air Army in the village of Domna, Chita Region.

By order of the Minister of Defense of Russia in 2012, he was dismissed from the Armed Forces to the reserve. Guard Lieutenant Colonel of the Air Force Reserve. Military pilot 2nd class. He mastered the L-39 and MiG-29 aircraft. Total flight time over 700 hours. He has the qualifications "instructor of parachute training", "officer-diver". Completed more than 350 parachute jumps.

At the meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the selection of cosmonauts on October 11, 2006, he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps for general space training as part of the 14th set. In February 2007, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps of the Yu.A. Gagarin for the post of candidate for test cosmonauts, and on February 26, 2007 he began a two-year general space training course.

In June 2008, in Sevastopol, he participated in training in the event of a descent vehicle landing on water as part of a mock crew, along with astronauts Shannon Walker and Timothy Creamer. He completed general space training and passed the state exams at the Cosmonaut Training Center with an "excellent" rating on June 2, 2009. A week later, Ryzhikov was qualified as a test cosmonaut and was awarded cosmonaut certificate No. 204. On August 1, 2009, he was appointed to the post of test cosmonaut of the CPC detachment.

From December 2014 to March 2016, he was preparing for a space flight as part of the ISS-47/48 backup crew as the commander of the Soyuz TMA-20M manned spacecraft and the ISS flight engineer. Since March 2016, he has been training as a member of the prime crew of the ISS-49/50 as the commander of the Soyuz MS-02 TPK, the launch of which was originally scheduled for September 23, but was postponed to October 19, 2016 due to technical reasons.

He launched on October 19, 2016 at 11:05 from pad No. 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome as a Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft crew commander and a flight engineer for the International Space Station crew under the ISS-49/50 program of the main space expeditions. The flight to the station took place according to the 34-orbit scheme, the docking took place in automatic mode. At 12:58 p.m., the spacecraft docked with the anti-aircraft docking unit of the Poisk small research module of the Russian segment of the International Space Station. At 15:20 the transfer hatch was opened and the crew members boarded the ISS.

On April 10, 2017, with three crew members, the spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 10:58, and at 14:21 the descent vehicle made a soft landing 147 km southeast of the city of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The flight duration was 173 days 3 hours 15 minutes 21 seconds.

By decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin of November 13, 2018 "For courage and heroism shown during a long-term space flight at the International Space Station", Sergei Nikolayevich was awarded the high title of Hero of Russia.