Georgi Beregovoi
Encyclopedia
Georgy Timofeyevich Beregovoy was a Soviet
cosmonaut
who commanded the space mission Soyuz 3
in 1968. At the time of his flight, Beregovoy was 47 years of age: he was the oldest human to go into space (by date of birth, not by age during flight), three months and three days older than the second earliest-born astronaut, American John Glenn
.
, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine
). He joined the Soviet air force
in 1941, and was soon assigned to a ground-attack unit flying the Ilyushin Il-2
"Shturmovik". He flew some 185 combat sorties during the course of World War II
and rose quickly through the ranks, finishing the war as a Captain and Squadron Commander.
Following the war, he became a test pilot, and over the next sixteen years test-flew some sixty different aircraft, rising to the rank of Colonel and the position of Deputy Chief of the air force's flight testing department. In 1962, he applied and was accepted for cosmonaut training.
In 1956 graduated from the Gagarin Air Force Academy
.
, but the mission was never launched.
On October 25, 1968, Beregovoy took the Soyuz 3 into outer space: he orbited the earth for slightly more than four days at altitudes reaching 252 km. As part of his mission, Beregovoy twice maneuvered his craft into rendezvous positions with the unmanned Soyuz 2 satellite but was unable to establish a direct physical link to the craft before returning on October 30, 1968.
Nonetheless, Beregovoy's flight was in some ways an encouraging success for the Soviet manned space program, and the colonel was celebrated as a hero upon his return. Soyuz 3 was Beregovoy's last spaceflight and soon after its return he retired from active duty, having been promoted to Major General.
.
Beregovoy took up a position at the Centre for Cosmonaut Training
, and in 1972 was made Director of that facility.
After retirement, Beregovoy became a Soviet parliament member representing the Donbas region of the Ukrainian SSR
. In this capacity, he reportedly helped Viktor Yanukovych
to start a new life, getting his two criminal convictions expunged from the court records. In 2003, Yanukovych became the Prime Minister
of modern independent Ukraine
under the presidency of Leonid Kuchma
. In 2006-2007 Viktor Yanukovych
served as the Prime Minister
under the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko
, and in 2010 he became the President
of Ukraine
.
Georgy Beregovoy died during heart surgery on June 30, 1995, and is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery
in Moscow
.
Georgy Beregovoy was decorated as Hero of the Soviet Union
twice, first time for his military service during World War II
, the second time for his space flight in 1968, making him the only Soviet cosmonaut who had flown into space already being the holder of the highest Soviet distinction for a previous achievement unrelated to space travel. He was also awarded two Orders of Lenin
, two Orders of the Red Banner
, Order of Alexander Nevsky
, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
(3rd Class), Order of the Patriotic War
(1st Class), two Orders of the Red Star
, and numerous other medals. Among many other Russian commemorations Beregovoy is memorialized in Moscow with a statue on Cosmonauts Alley
.
Beregovoy was celebrated internationally, and received a unique award from the Internation Aeronautical Federation
. At the Federation's 62nd general conference held in Helsinki, Finland, Beregovoy was awarded the first Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal for achievements in space; Finnish President Urho Kekkonen
was the honorary presenter on July 14, 1968. The award was a new design created in memory of Gagarin who had died the previous March, and it continues to be awarded to this day.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
cosmonaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who commanded the space mission Soyuz 3
Soyuz 3
Soyuz 3 was a spaceflight mission launched by the Soviet Union on October 26, 1968. For four consecutive days, Commander Georgy Beregovoy piloted the Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft through eighty-one orbits of Earth.-Crew:-Backup crew:...
in 1968. At the time of his flight, Beregovoy was 47 years of age: he was the oldest human to go into space (by date of birth, not by age during flight), three months and three days older than the second earliest-born astronaut, American John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
.
Background
Beregovoy was born on April 15, 1921, in Fedorivka, Poltava OblastPoltava Oblast
Poltava Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava.Other important cities within the oblast include: Komsomolsk, Kremenchuk, Lubny and Myrhorod.-Geography:...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). He joined the Soviet air force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
in 1941, and was soon assigned to a ground-attack unit flying the Ilyushin Il-2
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
"Shturmovik". He flew some 185 combat sorties during the course of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and rose quickly through the ranks, finishing the war as a Captain and Squadron Commander.
Following the war, he became a test pilot, and over the next sixteen years test-flew some sixty different aircraft, rising to the rank of Colonel and the position of Deputy Chief of the air force's flight testing department. In 1962, he applied and was accepted for cosmonaut training.
In 1956 graduated from the Gagarin Air Force Academy
Gagarin Air Force Academy
Gagarin Air Force Academy is the name of a Russian military aviation academy located in Monino , Moscow Region.Gagarin Air Force Academy is one of the leading military educational institutions preparing high ranking military personnel for the Russian Air Force.Among the academy alumni are around...
.
Astronautic career
In 1965, Colonel Beregovoy was scheduled to fly the following year in Voskhod 3Voskhod programme
The Voskhod programme was the second Soviet human spaceflight project. Two manned missions were flown using the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket, one in 1964 and one in 1965....
, but the mission was never launched.
On October 25, 1968, Beregovoy took the Soyuz 3 into outer space: he orbited the earth for slightly more than four days at altitudes reaching 252 km. As part of his mission, Beregovoy twice maneuvered his craft into rendezvous positions with the unmanned Soyuz 2 satellite but was unable to establish a direct physical link to the craft before returning on October 30, 1968.
Nonetheless, Beregovoy's flight was in some ways an encouraging success for the Soviet manned space program, and the colonel was celebrated as a hero upon his return. Soyuz 3 was Beregovoy's last spaceflight and soon after its return he retired from active duty, having been promoted to Major General.
Later life
At a public ceremony in honor of the Soviet cosmonautics team, Beregovoy was lightly wounded during a 1969 assassination attempt upon Soviet leader Leonid BrezhnevLeonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
.
Beregovoy took up a position at the Centre for Cosmonaut Training
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
The Yu. A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center is a Russian training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions...
, and in 1972 was made Director of that facility.
After retirement, Beregovoy became a Soviet parliament member representing the Donbas region of the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. In this capacity, he reportedly helped Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
to start a new life, getting his two criminal convictions expunged from the court records. In 2003, Yanukovych became the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
of modern independent Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
under the presidency of Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
. In 2006-2007 Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
served as the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
under the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
, and in 2010 he became the President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Georgy Beregovoy died during heart surgery on June 30, 1995, and is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in Moscow, Russia. It is next to the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site. It should not be confused with the Novodevichy Cemetery in Saint Petersburg....
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Legacy
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
twice, first time for his military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the second time for his space flight in 1968, making him the only Soviet cosmonaut who had flown into space already being the holder of the highest Soviet distinction for a previous achievement unrelated to space travel. He was also awarded two Orders of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
, two Orders of the Red Banner
Order of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
, Order of Alexander Nevsky
Order of Alexander Nevsky
The Order of Alexander Nevsky is an order of merit bestowed by the Russian Federation. It is named in honour ofAlexander Nevsky's struggle with the Teutonic Knights....
, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky may refer to:* Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky , state military award in the Soviet Union* Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky , state military award in Ukraine...
(3rd Class), Order of the Patriotic War
Order of the Patriotic War
The Order of the Patriotic War is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the German-Soviet War, known by the former-Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.- History :The Order was...
(1st Class), two Orders of the Red Star
Order of the Red Star
Established on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the...
, and numerous other medals. Among many other Russian commemorations Beregovoy is memorialized in Moscow with a statue on Cosmonauts Alley
Cosmonauts Alley
Cosmonauts Alley is a wide avenue in northern Moscow leading to the Russian Museum of Cosmonautics and the Monument to the Conquerors of Space . The pedestrian-only avenue connects the museum and monument to the VDNKh subway station....
.
Beregovoy was celebrated internationally, and received a unique award from the Internation Aeronautical Federation
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
. At the Federation's 62nd general conference held in Helsinki, Finland, Beregovoy was awarded the first Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal for achievements in space; Finnish President Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
was the honorary presenter on July 14, 1968. The award was a new design created in memory of Gagarin who had died the previous March, and it continues to be awarded to this day.