Almost 55 years ago, on March 7, 1960, the first cosmonaut detachment was formed, which included 12 people. Then - at the end of March, in April and in June - 8 more people were included in it. This magnificent twenty was formed from jet pilots of combat units of the Air Force, Air Defense and Navy.
Before the start
That in a certain state rocket technology a man would be sent into space, it was clear even before the launch of the first satellite. The solution of this problem came close in 1958, when a pilot project was initiated to create a spacecraft for human flight. At the same time, work began at the Institute of Aviation Medicine on the selection of cosmonauts, and a little later, on preparing them for the first space flight.
The selection began in the spring of 1959 with a study of the medical books of military pilots. The applicants were not only subject to the most severe health requirements, but they had to comply with a certain “format”. Not older than 35 years old. Not taller than 175 cm and not heavier than 75 kg.
After reviewing the medical books of 3461 people, 347 people were selected for the next stage - interviews. At the interview, in accordance with the requirements of increased secrecy, they asked: “Do you want to fly on new technology? And at the same time they looked so meaningfully that the subject understood everything. The applicant was forbidden to disclose even the fact of participation in the interview.
The vast majority agreed. But after a medical check, 206 people remained “in the saddle” in an ordinary garrison hospital. This was followed by a simple test - for several months, the subjects were waiting for a call to the next stage of the test. And 52 people reconsidered their intentions. Thus, the number of candidates was reduced to 154 people.
Finally, a state commission was approved, which included the largest experts in the field of medicine, including three academicians. The selection was carried out by a team in which all medical professions including dentists.
This time, the candidates were not only analyzed, but also subjected to severe tests in a centrifuge with a long overload of up to 12 g. In the pressure chamber, where not only the air was pumped out to an “altitude” of 5 and 10 km, but also required from the future cosmonaut to perform certain work. They shook on a vibration stand, rotated in a wheel, checked vegetative system on parallel swings. And much, much more that only a person with phenomenal health can endure. So, for example, with a load of 10g, their pulse did not exceed 120 beats / min.
But most of all those who were rejected were during the psychological tests of cosmonaut candidates. Because they were supposed to be perfect people, without the slightest flaw. Many parameters were evaluated here: resistance to stress, responsiveness, memory, ability to learn and self-learning, type of higher nervous activity, concentration of attention, "noise immunity", the ability to endure difficulties, deprivations and restrictions, self-criticism, reliability of actions in critical situations, fearlessness, teamwork, sense of humor...
Well, and, of course, a high moral and ideological level and universal human maturity. Without an ideology expressed in love for the native CPSU, it was impossible in the Soviet Union.
In February 1960, 29 out of 154 people passed the entire complex of grueling checks.
9 of them were eliminated in the future without explanation. It can be assumed that the special department saw some kind of wormholes in their biographies.
As a result, 20 supermen were accepted into the first detachment of astronauts:
1. Ivan Anikeev (1933 - 1992)
2. Pavel Belyaev (1925 - 1970)
3. Valentin Bondarenko (1937 - 1961)
4. Valery Bykovsky (1934)
5. Valentin Varlamov (1934 - 1980)
6. Boris Volynov (1934)
7. Yuri Gagarin (1934 - 1968)
8. Viktor Gorbatko (1934)
9. Dmitry Zaikin (1932 - 2013)
10. Anatoly Kartashov (1932 - 2005)
11. Vladimir Komarov (1927 - 1967)
12. Alexei Leonov (1934)
13. Grigory Nelyubov (1934 - 1966)
14. Andriyan Nikolaev (1929 - 2004)
15. Pavel Popovich (1930 - 2009)
16. Mars Rafikov (1933 - 2000)
17. German Titov (1935 - 2000)
18. Valentin Filatiev (1930 - 1990)
19. Evgeny Khrunov (1933 - 2000)
20. Georgy Shonin (1935 - 1997)
During the flight
A detachment of cosmonauts began to lose people even before the first flight into space, which was made on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin.
On March 23, Valentin Bondarenko died from a fire in a pressure chamber filled with oxygen. Fatally, a piece of cotton wool soaked in alcohol caught fire on a red-hot spiral. Which, of course, is an unforgivable miscalculation of the developers of the equipment and the specialists who conducted the experiment.
The remaining cases of elimination are not so tragic, but they also demonstrate how difficult the path was, elected first Soviet cosmonauts.
In March 1961, during training, Valentin Varlamov injured his cervical vertebrae. And he was expelled from the squad. At the same time, he was transferred to work as an instructor in Star City. His life was cut short tragically in 1980 - during the renovation of the apartment - he fell and hit his temple on the bed.
Anatoly Kartashov was the second to leave the detachment a week before Gagarin's flight. After training on the centrifuge, he was found to have bruises, which turned out to be sufficient for culling.
After 8 years, Dmitry Zaikin was written off, who had a stomach ulcer.
In addition to deductions for health reasons, there were also disciplinary ones. Since life in the detachment was not much different from being in a comfortable prison. In 1962, Mars Rafikov was expelled from the cosmonauts for "AWOL". A year later, Ivan Anikeev, Grigory Nelyubov and Valentin Filatiev, being drunk, pretty much clashed with a military patrol in Kaliningrad near Moscow (now Korolev).
The remaining 12 people flew into space. Moreover, some of them were enough not for one first space program "Vostok", but also for two more - "Voskhod" and "Soyuz", which stretched out in time for long years. Valery Gorbatko became the most "space centenarian" from the first detachment. He made three flights. The third - on the Soyuz-37 spacecraft in 1980. When many of those with whom he started were no longer alive.
The statistics on the number of flights were distributed in the following way.
1 flight - 5 people: Gagarin, Titov, Belyaev, Khrunov, Shonin.
2 flights - 5 people: Nikolaev, Popovich, Komarov, Leonov, Volynov.
3 flights - 2 people: Bykovsky, Gorbatko.
The second flight of Vladimir Komarov on April 24, 1967 on Soyuz-1 ended tragically. During landing, the descent module's main parachute failed to deploy, and the spacecraft crashed on landing.
But the loss could have been much greater. Because the probability that Gagarin's flight will end successfully did not exceed 50%. What, for example, is evidenced by the statistics of flights into space of dogs, which were hushed up in the USSR. Only half survived. But, despite this, Gagarin was launched. In haste. Because they feared that the Americans would overtake the Soviet Union.
One revolution around the Earth was the most severe test for Gagarin. Having easily survived the starting overloads and the period of weightlessness, he was on the verge of death while lowering the trajectory. When entering the atmosphere, the ship's thermal insulation burned unevenly. Which led to a strong and uneven rotation of the ship. There were huge overloads. After Gagarin ejected at an altitude of 20 kilometers, where the temperature was minus 60, the valve of the reducer that supplied oxygen to the spacesuit from a cylinder froze. Gagarin began to choke. Lost consciousness. Fortunately, after some time, the gearbox started working, and this saved the first cosmonaut from death.
Before the next launches, the necessary adjustments were made to the design of the spacesuit. And with the next launches of Vostok, the risk decreased. But it didn't completely disappear.
What made these people not only endure enormous loads while in the detachment, but also risk their lives in flight?
During the selection process, the motivation of each of them was determined. In the characteristics, of course, as was customary in those days, something was written about "love for the Motherland" and "the desire to bring the greatest possible benefit to the motherland." And, I must say, it was not quite empty sound, albeit formulated in a caricature-template way. Undoubtedly, they were not devoid of patriotic sentiments.
Another motivation came from their professional affiliation. Since the pilots of military jet aircraft, as they say now, could not imagine their existence without adrenaline.
One more circumstance should be added here: the first cosmonauts were national heroes. Well, Gagarin, and in general - was an idol of the international level.
There was also a material component. Gagarin received 15,000 rubles for his flight. With this money, then you could buy three of the best Soviet cars- Volga. After it, they began to pay 5-10 thousand for the flight, depending on the duration and other circumstances. Plus high salary on the ground - with all sorts of bonuses, rations, "star" and other allowances, about a thousand came out. That is, 9 times more than an engineer, and three times more than an academician.
To this should be added the keys to an apartment in Star City or in Moscow in the VDNH area. And also "Volga" for space flight. And the star of the Hero Soviet Union which offers a variety of benefits.
The situation is completely different now, when astronautics has ceased to be priority. Today, an astronaut receives $800 a day for a flight. After returning from a three-month flight, he is unable to buy an apartment. But such flights for his active period can be no more than three. On the ground, the salary, depending on length of service and other factors, ranges from 60 thousand to 100 thousand rubles. It's ridiculous to talk about an apartment here. If we compare this with average salary in the government apparatus, which amounts to 241 thousand rubles, then this is completely humiliating.
After landing
In the 1960s, three more people who were included in the first detachment of cosmonauts passed away. One is very loud - Yuri Gagarin, in 1968. It was a national tragedy, because he was not just the pride of the country, but everyone's favorite.
Two is quiet. In 1966 - Grigory Nelyubov. After being expelled from the detachment, he continued to serve in the Air Force. While drunk, he was hit by a train. Pavel Belyaev left in 1970. He died during a peritonitis operation.
All of them were less than forty years old.
In 1980, before reaching fifty, Valentin Varlamov died.
In 1992, Ivan Anikeev, expelled from the detachment, died of cancer at the age of 59. After the detachment, he served in the Air Force. At the same age, his “comrade” in expulsion, Valentin Filatiev, died of heart failure in 1990.
After leaving the cosmonaut corps in connection with the achievement age limit or for other reasons, the fate of the first cosmonauts developed in different ways. Georgy Shonin, who lived to be 61, was quite prosperous. In Ukraine he commanded air army Odessa district, then became the deputy commander of the district. And three recent years was the head of the Research Institute of Aviation and space technology MO USSR.
German Titov became a doctor of military sciences. He worked in prominent positions in the USSR Ministry of Defense, directly related to cosmonautics. He was the president of the Federation of Cosmonautics of the Russian Federation. met in State Duma. He died in 2000 from a heart attack at the age of 65.
Andrian Nikolaev was quite successful in Soviet time, having received the State Prize and sitting in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. But in the Russian Federation he occupied a more modest position - he was in the staff of the mandate commission of the State Duma. He died at the age of 74 from a heart attack.
Pavel Popovich, being a major general in the reserve, until 2009 worked in Moscow as chairman of the board of directors State Institute land surveys. He died at the age of 78 from a stroke.
Evgeny Khrunov worked as a senior researcher at the Research Institute of Aviation and Space Technology of the USSR Ministry of Defense, led by Shonin. Then he became the director of the Moscow representative office of the Sodruzhestvo inter-farm association. Further - the president of the scientific and industrial association "K.E.M.T.". Died at the age of 66.
As you can see, strong health in youth is not a guarantee of longevity. Especially if the body is subjected to heavy loads, both physical and mental.
Here is how cosmonaut Gennady Strekalov commented on this situation 10 years ago:
“Over the past 5 years, we have buried 12 cosmonauts, some did not even live to be 60 years old, and yet we were selected with a fivefold health reserve. Stress is understandable, but what about the effect of radiation, weightlessness? This means that space medicine is hiding something from us. We are now raising the question of specific occupational diseases of cosmonauts. Doctors run around the astronaut only during the preparation for the flight and the month of post-flight rehabilitation, then he is forgotten. But even with scientific point It is very interesting to trace the consequences of space flights on living people, to observe their health, to register all this.
Of the 20 space pioneers, four are now alive.
Valery Bykovsky until 1991 worked as the director of the House Soviet culture and science in Berlin. Now quietly retired.
Boris Volynov, after leaving the detachment, worked for a long time at the Cosmonaut Training Center. Now retired.
Viktor Gorbatko was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In the 1990s he became president of the Union of Russian Philatelists.
The most successful in life "in civilian life" Alexei Leonov. He is a media man, all the time at the hearing and in sight. long time worked as deputy director of the Cosmonaut Training Center. He exhibited paintings with space scenes. He gave interviews, acted as an expert. AT modern Russia was a director space program Chatek company. Now he is an adviser to the chairman of the board of directors of Alfa-Bank.
In conclusion, one more thing needs to be said. Starting to debut, these young, handsome and brave guys could not imagine that there was another motivation for their choice. And she worked perfectly. All of them forever inscribed their names in the history of the country.
Pictured: Moscow. Cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Pavel Popovich while studying at the Zhukovsky Academy, 1965.
In 1959, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR decided to select and train cosmonauts for the first flight on the Vostok spacecraft. The Center for Military Research National Hospital was assigned to do this. It was decided to choose from fighter pilots, as it was assumed that they had the most suitable characteristics for this. The selection was tough both according to medical criteria and according to physical data - the candidate should not be older than 35 years old, up to 175 cm tall and weighing up to 75 kg. No one was told why they were being selected, it was reported that they were allegedly for testing new equipment.
The commission received 3461 applications from pilots and selected 347 people for the initial interview. Since the medical examination was very thorough, and the upcoming loads were serious, not everyone decided to become astronauts, and 72 pilots refused to participate in the program. 206 people were admitted for further tests. Completely all stages medical examination Only 29 people were able to pass.
From left to right, sitting - P. Popovich, V. Gorbatko, S. Khrunov, Yu. Gagarin, S. Korolev, N. Koroleva with her daughter Popovich Natasha, 1st head of the Cosmonaut Training Center E. Karpov, N. Nikitin, head of department TsNIIAK E. Fedorov. middle row: A. Leonov, A. Nikolaev, M. Rafikov, D. Zaikin, B. Volynov, G. Titov, G. Nelyubov, V. Bykovsky, G. Shonin. Top row: V. Filatiev, I. Anikeev, P. Belyaev.
On January 11, 1960, a special Military Unit 26266, which is now the Cosmonaut Training Center. Colonel of the medical service Yevgeny Karpov was appointed head. And the future cosmonauts formed the Air Force group No. 1.
On March 7, 1960, 12 people were enrolled in the first cosmonaut corps: Yuri Gagarin, Valery Bykovsky, Ivan Anikeev, Boris Volynov, Viktor Gorbatko, Vladimir Komarov, Alexei Leonov, Grigory Nelyubov, Andriyan Nikolaev, German Titov, Georgy Shonin and Pavel Popovich. Later, 8 more pilots joined them: Dmitry Zaikin, Evgeny Khrunov, Valentin Filatiev, Valentin Varlamov, Valentin Bondarenko, Pavel Belyaev, Mars Rafikov and Anatoly Kartashov. For preparation, they invited the pilot who saved the Chelyuskinites, Hero of the Soviet Union and participant in the Great Patriotic War Nikolai Kamanin.
By April 1961, three were selected for the flight: Titov, Gagarin and Nelyubov. They recorded the appeal of the first cosmonauts to the Soviet people and on April 12 all three were at Baikonur. Titov was an understudy for Gagarin, Nelyubov was supposed to replace his comrades in case of force majeure.
Gagarin at Baikonur before the flight
Nelyubov never flew into space. Because of his quick temper, he was expelled from the detachment and ended his life very sadly - in 1966 he was hit by a train while drunk.
This is not the only time when the life of the astronauts from the first detachment was tragically cut short. Gagarin crashed during an unsuccessful training flight in an airplane in 1968, a year earlier while landing spaceship Soyuz-1 killed Vladimir Komarov.
German Titov and Andriyan Nikolaev during training, 1964
The youngest member of the detachment, Valentin Bondarenko, burned down in the pressure chamber. On March 23, 1961, he completed a 10-day stay in the cell and, after wiping the places on the body to which the sensors were attached, threw away the cotton wool. She hit a red-hot spiral and flared up, rather the entire chamber was filled with fire. When Bondarenko was taken out, his body was severely burned. Doctors tried to save the astronaut, but to no avail.
Most of those who never flew into space went on to careers in aviation or stayed in the space industry. The same 12, who were still lucky enough to become the first astronauts, flew in this order:
According to the Vostok program: Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, German Titov on August 6-7, 1961, Andriyan Nikolaev on August 11-15, 1962, Pavel Popovich on August 12-15, 1962, Valery Bykovsky on June 14-19, 1963.
According to the Voskhod program: Vladimir Komarov October 12, 1964, Pavel Belyaev and Alexei Leonov March 18-19, 1965.
Under the Soyuz program: Boris Volynov and Yevgeny Khrunov January 15-18, 1969, Georgy Shonin October 11-16, 1969, Viktor Gorbatko October 12-17, 1969.
Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Gorbatko during training in weightlessness
It so happened that Gorbatko was the last of the detachment who first flew into space. However, unlike the rest, who accounted for only one or two flights, Viktor Gorbatko, like Valery Bykovsky, was lucky enough to fly into space three times - also on February 7-25, 1977 on Soyuz-24 and July 23-31, 1980 on Soyuz-37. Two years after his third flight, Gorbatko retired, like many of his comrades in the early 80s. Boris Volynov had the longest experience of the members of the first detachment, he served until 1990, having given 30 years to space. Together with Valery Bykovsky and the first person to appear in outer space, Alexei Leonov Volynov remains one of the living members of the first cosmonaut corps of the USSR.
Half a century ago something happened that was hard to believe - a man flew into space. Astronauts are the heroes of a bygone generation, but their names are still remembered today. Few people know, but space for a person was far from peaceful, he was given blood. Dead astronauts, hundreds of test officers and soldiers who died in explosions and fires in the process of testing rocket technology. Needless to say, thousands of nameless servicemen who died during routine work - crashed, burned alive, poisoned with heptyl. And, despite this, unfortunately, not everyone was satisfied. Space travel is extremely dangerous and hard work: about the people who perform it, and will be discussed in this article ...
Komarov Vladimir Mikhailovich
Pilot-cosmonaut, engineer-colonel, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. More than once he flew on the Voskhod-1 and Soyuz-1 ships. He was the commander of the first ever crew of three. Komarov died on April 24, 1967, when at the end of the flight program, during the descent to Earth, the parachute of the descent vehicle did not open, as a result of which the structure, on board of which the officer was, crashed into the ground at full speed.
Dobrovolsky Georgy Timofeevich
Soviet cosmonaut, lieutenant colonel of the Air Force, Hero of the Soviet Union. He died on June 30, 1971 in the stratosphere over Kazakhstan. The cause of death is considered to be the depressurization of the Soyuz-11 descent module, probably due to valve failure. He had a huge number of prestigious awards, including the Order of Lenin.
Patsaev Viktor Ivanovich
Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union, the first astronomer in the world who was lucky enough to work outside earth's atmosphere. Patsaev was in the same crew as Dobrovolsky, he died with him on June 30, 1971 due to a violation of the tightness of the oxygen valve SA Soyuz-11.
Scobie Francis Richard
NASA astronaut, twice made space flights on the Challenger shuttle. He is listed among those who died in space as a result of the STS-51L accident along with his crew. The launch vehicle with the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch, there were 7 people on board. The cause of the disaster is considered to be the burnout of the solid-fuel accelerator wall. Francis Scobie is posthumously inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Resnick Judith Arlen
An American woman astronaut, spent about 150 hours in space, was a member of the crew of the same ill-fated Challenger shuttle and died during its launch on January 28, 1986 in Florida. At one time, she was the second woman to fly into space.
Anderson Michael Phillip
American aerospace engineer computer science, US astronaut pilot, lieutenant colonel of the Air Force. Over the course of his life, he has flown over 3,000 hours on various jet aircraft. He died while returning from space aboard Columbia STS-107 on February 1, 2003. The accident occurred at an altitude of 63 kilometers above Texas. Anderson and six of his colleagues, after a 15-day stay in orbit, burned to death just 16 minutes before landing.
Ramon Ilan
Israeli Air Force pilot, Israel's first astronaut. He tragically died on February 1, 2003 during the destruction of the same Columbia STS-107 shuttle that crashed in dense layers earth's atmosphere.
Grissom Virgil Ivan
The world's first commander of a two-seat spacecraft. Unlike the previous participants in the rating, this astronaut died on Earth, still on preparatory stage flight, a month before the scheduled launch of Apollo 1. January 27, 1967 in space center Kennedy during training, a fire broke out in an atmosphere of pure oxygen, where Virgil Griss and two of his colleagues died.
Bondarenko Valentin Vasilievich
He died under very similar circumstances on March 23, 1961. He was on the list of the first 20 astronauts who were selected for the first ever space flight. When tested by cold and loneliness in a pressure chamber, as a result of an accident, his training woolen suit caught fire, the man died from the resulting burns eight hours later.
Adams Michael James
American test pilot, US Air Force astronaut. He was among those killed in space during his seventh X-15 suborbital flight in 1967. For unknown reasons aircraft, which Adams was on board, was completely destroyed at an altitude of more than 50 miles above the earth's surface. The causes of the accident are still unknown, all telemetric information was lost along with the remains of the rocket plane.
Cosmonauts and astronauts are the heroes of the previous generation, but their names are still remembered. Many of them died doing their jobs a few minutes after launch or on approach. The first losses were suffered by the Soviet Union during the accident of the descent vehicle of the SOYUZ-1 spacecraft from the Americans terrible disaster reusable space shuttle Challenger claimed the lives of seven astronauts.
Shuttle Challenger explosion
1
Komarov Vladimir Mikhailovich - date of death: 1967.04.24. He died in a collision with the Earth SA spacecraft "Soyuz-1", as it turned out later, the accident happened due to the failure of the parachute system. He was awarded the title of hero, and a few years later, American astronauts, who visited the moon, left him and several other portraits of astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration.
2
Dobrovolsky Georgy Timofeevich - Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR. He died on 06/1971/30, the cause of death was the depressurization of the Soyuz-11 SC due to valve failure. He had many prestigious awards, including the Order of Lenin.
3
Volkov Vladislav Nikolaevich - USSR, Died in 1971.06.30. Was in the same crew as Dobrovolsky G.T. After Volkov's death, a memorial was erected in his honor.
4
Patsaev Victor Ivanovich - USSR, Died in 1971.06.30 SA SC "Soyuz-11". He is buried near the Kremlin wall, and a crater on the Moon, a research ship and several streets were named after him.
Scobie Francis Richard - USA, Killed in 1986.01.28 along with his crew. The cause of death was the explosion of the spacecraft "Challenger" at the start. He was posthumously awarded many medals, of which the Congressional Space Medal of Honor stands out.
6
Michael John Smith - USA, Died on 1986.01.28, along with the crew of the Challenger, 73 seconds after launch. At that time he had the rank of captain of the first rank, it was his first flight.
7
Allison Shoji Onizuka - USA, Also died along with his crew of the Challenger on 01/1986/28 due to a shuttle malfunction. He was posthumously awarded the rank of colonel and several prestigious medals, which were sent to his family.
8
Judith Arlen Resnick - USA, shuttle Challenger. At that time, she was the second woman to fly into space. Judith's grave does not exist, she was cremated, and her ashes were scattered over the sea, as a sign of her love for freedom.
9
McNair Ronald Erwin - USA, Died on 01/28/1986, shuttle Challenger. He was one of the few African Americans who flew into space. Like all crew members, he was awarded a medal.
10
Gregory Bruce Jarvis - USA, died with his team on 01/28/1986. At that time he had the title of Captain of the BBC, posthumously awarded the medal.
From time immemorial, mankind has sought to fly. Perhaps it was their most desired dream. With becoming modern civilization, people wanted not just to fly, but to reach the enchanting haze outer space. And finally, they were able to realize the desire of mankind to go into outer space!
The first cosmonaut of the Soviet Union was, which entered forever into world history. Preparations for the flight of the world's first man lasted a little over a year, and, behold, on April 12, 1961, this historic moment took place. They met the pilot on Earth, as befits, to meet the heroes of the fatherland. Later, Gagarin was awarded many ranks and awards. The flight into space was soon repeated by an astronaut from the United States. After that, the struggle began to launch the first woman astronaut into space.
An event of unprecedented scale was the flight of the first female Soviet cosmonaut. Her journey to the stars began with the fact that by the age of 25 she was enrolled in the ranks of astronauts and, along with other girls, was preparing for flight into orbit. During the training, the project leaders noticed the activity of Valentina Tereshkova and her diligence, as a result of which she was appointed senior in the women's group. After only 1 year of training, she went to space trip, which remained forever in the history books - the first space flight of a woman.
The Soviet Union did not just launch the first cosmonaut into orbit, but opened a new milestone in the evolution of human technology and the level of development of mankind as a whole. were the first in everything that was connected with astronautics. Our state has the most best technology in the field of astronautics. We were the first not only in launching astronauts. The state held the world championship in the future in the field of launching manned flights and the operation of orbital stations.
We must pay tribute to the heroes of the Soviet Union - the cosmonauts - for their courage and devotion to their dream. They marked the beginning new era humanity - space. But do not forget about those outstanding people who have invested in this business not only labor and time, but also a particle of their soul. The achievements of Russian cosmonautics are worthy of being written about in textbooks.
Boris Valentinovich Volynov (b. 1934) - Soviet cosmonaut, twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
early years
Boris Volynov was born in Irkutsk on 18.12.1934. However, soon his mother was transferred to another place of work - to the city of Prokopyevsk Kemerovo region and the whole family moved there. Until 1952, the boy studied at the regular high school, and already in early years he was inspired by the idea of becoming a pilot.
No sooner said than done: after school, Volynov went to Pavlodar, to the local military aviation school. Then he continued his education at the Stalingrad (now Volgograd) military aviation school. After training, he served as a pilot in Yaroslavl, later becoming a senior pilot.
Pavel Ivanovich Belyaev (1925 - 1970) - Soviet cosmonaut number 10, Hero of the USSR.
Pavel Belyaev is also known as an athlete and participant Soviet-Japanese War 1945.
early years
Pavel Belyaev was born in the village of Chelishchevo, which today belongs to Vologda region 06/26/1925 He studied at a school in the city of Kamensk-Uralsky, after which he went to work as a turner at a factory. However, a year later he decided to devote himself to military affairs, as a result of which he entered the Yeisk Military Aviation School. So he became a pilot.
The Great Patriotic War had ended by that time (1945), but Far East there were still military operations against Japan, and the young pilot went there.
Vladimir Dzhanibekov (Krysin) (b. 05/13/1942) is a very interesting representative of the national cosmonautics.
This is a man who has made several records in space flights. Firstly, he made a record number of flights in the USSR - five. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev flew as many as six times, but this was already after the collapse of the USSR.
Secondly, in all five of his flights he was the commander. This record has not yet been surpassed by any cosmonaut in the world, and only James Weatherby repeated it, and even then only in his sixth flight, since he was not the commander in the first. Thus, Vladimir Dzhanibekov is the most experienced Soviet cosmonaut.
Valery Kubasov (1935 - 2014) - famous Soviet cosmonaut. He is known as a space flight engineer, and also as a participant in the famous Apollo-Soyuz program, during which they docked space stations two "superpowers".
Biography
Valery Kubasov was born in the city of Vyazniki, which Vladimir region. He also went to school there. Since childhood, he dreamed of building airplanes, so after school he went to Moscow aviation institute. Like many cosmonauts, Kubasov was an aviator in the early stages of his life.
Svetlana Savitskaya - test pilot, cosmonaut, Hero of the USSR (twice).
Probably everyone in the world knows who Valentina Tereshkova is. However, even after her, women continued to conquer space. Just next, after Tereshkova and the second female cosmonaut, was Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya.
She was a brilliant pilot, participated in two space expeditions, the first, among women, went into outer space and carried out work there, became the only woman, twice awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union. But first things first.
Viktor Gorbatko Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR, Major-General of Aviation.
Quite recently, on May 17, 2017, a well-known not only in Russia but also abroad pilot - cosmonaut Viktor Vasilyevich Gorbatko passed away.
This man participated in three space expeditions in his life, was one of the first chess players who played games between space and Earth. He is the 21st Soviet pilot-cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
Apart from huge amount Soviet awards, received awards from five countries, and for the last 16 years of his life he was the president of the Union of Philatelists of Russia.
Komarov Vladimir Mikhailovich (1927 - 1967) cosmonaut, twice Hero of the USSR, test pilot
Childhood and years of study
Vladimir Mikhailovich was born on March 16, 1927. He grew up in a poor janitor family. From an early age, he stared at the planes flying in the sky and launched kites from the roof of the house. Hometown- Moscow.
From the age of 7, he has been studying at the 235th school, which currently bears the number 2107. Having completed a seven-year course there general education in 1943, at the height of the Great Patriotic War, makes a fateful decision to become a pilot.
Made two space flight and stayed in space for 28 days and just over 17 hours.
short biography
Vladislav Nikolaevich Volkov was born on November 23, 1935 in Moscow in a family, all members of which were professionally engaged in aviation. His father was a leading engineer - designer of the largest aviation enterprise, his mother worked there in the design bureau.
It is natural that Vladislav dreamed of aviation since childhood. After graduating from Moscow school number 212 in 1953, he simultaneously entered famous MAI- the forge of Soviet aviation engineers and, in the flying club.
Classes both at the institute and at the flying club were very successful.
Popovich Pavel Romanovich - Soviet pilot-cosmonaut number 4 from the first "Gagarin" detachment, a legend of Russian cosmonautics. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
short biography
The biography of cosmonaut Popovich is not much different from the biography of his peers. Pavel Popovich was born in October 1929 in the village of Uzin. Kyiv region in Ukraine. His parents were ordinary people.
Father Roman Porfiryevich Popovich is from peasant family All his life he worked as a stoker at a local sugar factory. Mother Feodosia Kasyanovna was born into a wealthy family, but rich relatives abandoned her after her marriage, and large family Popovich had a pretty hard time.
Pavel s early childhood found out what it is hard work- he had to work as a shepherd, to be a nanny in a strange family. hard years German occupation left an imprint on the appearance of Paul - at the age of 13 he became gray-haired. But, despite all the hardships of post-war childhood, the boy grew up very smart, inquisitive and was an excellent student.
