Where was Alexey Leonov cosmonaut born. Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov is the first man in space. Biography and interesting facts from life. In outer space

short biography Alexey Leonov, twice Hero Soviet Union, Major General of Reserve Aviation, Pilot-Cosmonaut is set out in this article.

Alexey Leonov biography briefly

Leonov Alexey Arkhipovich was born in the village of Listvyanka on May 30, 1934 in a large family. His father was repressed in 1936, and after 3 years he was rehabilitated. The family was forced to first move to Kemerovo, then to Kaliningrad.

The young man graduated from the Military Aviation School of Initial Pilot Training in Kremenchug in 1955. Further training also with aviation: Leonov studied at the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots and the Air Force Engineering Academy. Zhukovsky. He was qualified as a pilot-cosmonaut-engineer. In 1978 he graduated from the test pilot school.

In October 1957 he served as a pilot of the 113th Aviation Regiment of the 10th Fighter Aviation Division in the Kiev Military District. After 2 years he became a senior pilot, and in 1960, according to the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Leonov was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps of the Cosmonaut Training Center as a listener-cosmonaut. In April 1961, he became an astronaut in the Training Center's department.

Together with P. Belyaev, Alexey Arkhipovich made a space flight on March 18-19, 1965. Their ship Voskhod-2 was the first vehicle in the world to fly in open space for 12 minutes. In addition, Leonov underwent thorough training in flights to the Earth's satellite - the Moon.

In 1974 he was promoted to the position of deputy chief at the V.I. Gagarin and was the commander of the cosmonaut corps.

Alexey Arkhipovich on July 15-21, 1975 made another flight on the Soyuz-19 spacecraft into space. The flight lasted 5 days 22 hours 30 minutes. In the period 1982-1991, he held the post of First Deputy Head of the Training Center named after A. Gagarin on space and flight training.

Leonov retired in 1992 with the rank of Major General of Aviation. Until 1993, he held the post of director of space programs at the Chetek firm. From 1999 to 2000, he was president of the investment fund Alfa-Capital. Today Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov holds the position of Advisor to the First Deputy of Alfa-Bank.

In addition to his scientific activities, Leonov was an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts. His brush belongs to the creation of 200 graphic and painting canvases. He wrote several books - "Psychological features of interplanetary flight", "Perception of space and time in space", "Life among the stars", " sunny wind"," I'm going out into space. "

Leonov has won many awards and medals. He received his last award in May 2014. It was the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree. Hero of the Soviet Union has honorary citizenship in 40 cities of Russia and other countries.

As for his personal life, Leonov is married to Svetlana Leonova, editor of the editorial and publishing department of the CPC. In the marriage, 2 daughters were born - Victoria and Oksana.

For many centuries, mankind was possessed by a seemingly unrealizable dream - to fly through the sky like a bird and get into uncharted outer space. This desire was reflected in many fairy tales, where the heroes moved on flying carpets, brooms, ovens, cannonballs, etc.

The founder of cosmonautics K.E. Tsiolkovsky believed in the possibility of interplanetary travel. He predicted a man's exit into an unknown airless space, which was carried out by a Russian officer, Soviet pilot Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov.

The beginning of life

The future cosmonaut Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov was born in the small village of Listvyanka, located north of the city of Kemerovo, on May 30, 1934. He was the ninth child in the family of a peasant Arkhip Alekseevich and teacher Evdokia Minaevna.

It is unlikely that representatives of that generation can boast of their prosperous and happy childhood. Often, fate tested the strength of the Leonov family. The grandfather of the future cosmonaut was sent into exile for participating in the revolutionary events of 1905. So he ended up in the village of Listvyanka, six hundred kilometers from Kemerovo.

Fate was harsh with Alexei's father. Initially, he worked as a livestock specialist in the village. After he was appointed chairman of the village council. However, the year 1937 came. Arkhip Leonov was arrested on trumped-up charges. The whole family was affected. The acquired property was seized. Moreover, they even took away children's clothes. The kids were kicked out of school. Evdokia Minaevna went to Kemerovo. There she and all the children found shelter with the eldest daughter Alexandra, who with her husband lived in the barrack of the CHPP builders in a small room with an area of ​​sixteen square meters... In 1939 Arkhip Leonov was rehabilitated and moved to live with his family in Kemerovo. According to the decree on the support of mothers with many children, they were allocated two rooms in the same barracks, the area of ​​which was 16 and 18 square meters. Slowly but surely, the family began to get back on their feet.

School years

The future cosmonaut Leonov went to receive his primary education in 1943. His parents sent him to the Kemerovo school number 35. During these years, the boy's main hobby was painting Russian stoves. The future cosmonaut learned this art from immigrants from Ukraine who lived next door to his family. Once Alexei saw a book with his classmate. In it, he was attracted by the black and white illustrations of paintings by the artist Aivazovsky. The boy developed a strong desire to acquire this book, which he did, paying for a whole month with his school ration, consisting of a lump of sugar and fifty grams of bread. Since then, Aivazovsky has become the most beloved artist of Alexei.

The boy did not have to finish his studies at the Kemerovo school. Five years later (in 1948), my father was sent to work in Kaliningrad. The whole family also moved there. Here, in the former Konigsberg, Aleksey received a certificate of maturity, having finished secondary school number 21.

The future cosmonaut Leonov possessed knowledge uncommon for his age. He drew superbly and was fond of aviation. According to the notes of his older brother, Alexey independently studied design features aircraft and the device of engines, and also mastered the theoretical foundations of flight. All this knowledge, in parallel with achievements in sports, was the main prerequisite that later became decisive on the path of the formation of a young man.

Admission to the Academy of Arts

The life and biography of cosmonaut Leonov could have developed completely differently, if not for some circumstances. From childhood, Alexey had great drawing abilities. After leaving school, in 1953, he applied to the Academy of Arts located in Riga. The young man was enrolled in the first year. However, a little later it turned out that students can be provided with a hostel only after three years of study. This option did not suit Alexei, and he began to choose other educational institutions for himself.

Way to aviation

A good option for Leonov was the pilot school, which provided its cadets with full support. In 1953, the Komsomol was recruited into it. The young man submitted documents to this educational institution without hesitation. So the biography of cosmonaut Leonov began to develop in a completely different direction.

The young man successfully passed all competitive tests and became a cadet of an aviation school located in Kremenchug. In this educational institution, the future cosmonaut Leonov completed an initial flight training course. After that, he was transferred to Chuguev, where he continued his studies at the military aviation school, which trained fighter pilots. Since 1957, Leonov served in the 10th Guards Aviation Division, which was stationed in the city of Kremenchug. Here he met his future wife Svetlana, who became his wife after three days of meeting.

A new twist of fate

Until the fall of 1959, the future cosmonaut Leonov served in the Kremenchug division. His biography underwent significant changes after a meeting with Colonel Karpov, who was the head of the Cosmonaut Training Center. Leonov was asked to enter a school that trains test pilots. Alexei Arkhipovich agreed and in October 1959 arrived for a medical examination at the Aviation Hospital, located in Sokolniki. There his first meeting with Yuri Gagarin took place. Soon the acquaintance of the pilots grew into a strong friendship.

The hospital doctors carried out numerous studies, the purpose of which was to select the cosmonaut corps. A. A. Leonov turned out to be a worthy candidate. In 1960 he was enrolled in the detachment, and during the year the young pilot was a student of special courses held at the Cosmonaut Training Center.

On the eve of flights

Despite the fact that the future cosmonaut Leonov passed a tough selection, he had to train hard. Only good preparation opened up the possibility of upcoming flights.

In 1964, the design bureau, which at that time was headed by Korolev, began to design a new spacecraft. It was designed for two places, and its design allowed for an exit into an airless space.

Simultaneously with the preparation of the ship, two crews underwent pre-flight training. These are cosmonauts Belyaev and Leonov, as well as their stand-ins, Khrunov and Gorbatko. When selecting the crew for the Voskhod-2 spacecraft, the doctors took into account the complexity and duration of the flight, its main tasks and goals, as well as the psychological characteristics of people. The cosmonauts had to work as smoothly as possible, completely trusting each other. Leonov and Belyaev had different personalities. But at the same time, they perfectly complemented each other and were able to fulfill the most difficult task assigned to them.

Historic flight

After three years of persistent preparation, on March 18, 1965, the Voskhod-2 spacecraft carrying two cosmonauts, Leonov and Belyaev, successfully launched from Baikonur. The rocket made its first orbit around our planet. At the second stage, as planned, Leonov (cosmonaut) made a spacewalk. Pushing off lightly, he literally floated out of the airlock.

The moments when the first cosmonaut (Leonov) found himself in an airless space, probably all the citizens of the USSR would like to observe. From the side of the ship, all its movements were monitored by two cameras. In parallel with this, Alexei Arkhipovich conducted his own filming. Five times flew away from the spacecraft at a distance of 5 m, and then Leonov (cosmonaut) returned back. The spacewalk was fraught with danger to life, but the courageous man fulfilled the task. After the successful completion of the flight, the spacecraft landed two hundred kilometers from Perm.

The crew fully coped with their task, proving that people are able to go into airless space and even work there. The well-coordinated work of Leonov and Belyaev undoubtedly predetermined the future of all cosmonautics.

Preparing for new flights

What did the cosmonaut Leonov do in the future? The biography of this amazing person connected Alexei Arkhipovich with the cosmonaut corps for a long time. In the period from 1965 to 1967. he was the deputy commander. After, for the next three years, Alexei Arkhipovich was in a group that was being prepared for flying around the moon and landing on its surface. However, due to a malfunction of the ship, the project did not receive its development.

From 1971 to 1973 pilot-cosmonaut Leonov took part in various programs five more times. In them, he was assigned the role of the ship's crew commander. However, all flights for one reason or another did not take place.

Assassination witness

On January 22, 1969, in Moscow, we met the cosmonauts who flew on the Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 spacecraft. Tereshkova, Beregovoy, Nikolaev and Leonov were sitting in one of the cars leaving the airport. It was fired upon by junior lieutenant V. Ilyin. He decided that Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was sitting in the car. Fortunately for Leonov, who found himself in the very center of events, he did not suffer at all. Beregovoy and Nikolaev were unlucky. The first was cut into the face by shrapnel. Nikolaev was wounded in the back.

New achievements

In 1972, the United States and the USSR decided to carry out a joint spacewalk, during which it was planned to dock ships belonging to the two superpowers. There were conditions for the selection of crew members. Their list included:

• in-depth knowledge of technology;
• the highest qualifications;
• the ability to work with the equipment of both ships;
• willingness to carry out an impressive program of scientific experiments and observations;
• excellent knowledge of the language in which the partners will speak.

The crew of the Soviet ship included Kubasov and Leonov, and Slayton, Brand and Stafford worked on board from the American side. The joint flight was carried out in 1975, thus opening a new era in space exploration.

The further fate of Leonov

In March 1992, Alexey Arkhipovich retired with the rank of Major General of Aviation. Until 2000, he served as president of the investment fund Alfa-Capital. After that Leonov became vice president of Alfa-Bank. Today Alexey Arkhipovich lives near Moscow, in a country house, which he personally designed and built.

Many people also know about cosmonaut Leonov as a good artist. Painting, which he became interested in in his youth, remains his hobby to this day. Alexey Arkhipovich is the author of several art albums, on his account there are more than two hundred paintings. The main motive of his work is space landscapes. However, there are paintings that depict portraits of friends and earthly landscapes. Since 1965 Leonov has been a full member of the Artists' Union.

The astronaut also has other hobbies. He enjoys reading books, hunting and filming and photographing. Leonov has the 2nd category in cycling and the 3rd - in fencing. Alexey Arkhipovich was professionally engaged in athletics and javelin throwing.

Name: Alexey Leonov

Age: 85 years

Place of Birth: Listvyanka village, Kemerovo region

Height: 163 cm

The weight: 75 kg

Activity: pilot-cosmonaut, the first to set foot in open space

Family status: married

Alexey Leonov - biography

After the triumphant flight of Yuri Gagarin, the USSR had to maintain its position in the space race. The next step was manned spacewalk. And it was made by Soviet cosmonaut No. 11. Alexey Leonov was listed under this number.

Childhood, the family of Alexei Leonov

Little Alyosha loved to draw. It doesn't matter what - trees, sky, people, animals. He dreamed of becoming an artist.

When people in civilian clothes came for his father at night, Alyosha's mother worried: “Where are you taking him? At night ?! " Visitors cut off: “Get ready! We'll figure it out there. " The next morning, Arkhip was taken to the regional center, and his wife and 8 children received another slap in the face from the chairman: “Free the hut. The collective farm has provided you with housing as a service one. And if Arkhip was arrested, then housing is not supposed to be. While Evdokia drove the children to her sister, the "kind" neighbors plundered the already pitiful belongings.

Astronaut education

In 1947, Leonov Sr. was sent to work in Königsberg, renamed Kaliningrad. Alexey graduated from high school, applied to the Riga Academy of Arts, and successfully passed the exams. But the students were not supposed to have a dormitory. With the dream of becoming a painter, I had to wait if not to say goodbye. And then one of the comrades said that he was going to the aviation school in Kremenchug. Alexey did not strive for pilots, but he liked the training conditions: housing, uniform and full state support.

Alexey Leonov - spacewalk

Leonov's "space turn" came up only in March 1965. Together with the commander Pavel Belyaev, he was supposed to fly on the Voskhod-2 ship. For the time being, few knew about the features of the flight. Even his wife did not suspect about the historical mission of Alexei, believing that it would be an ordinary flight. Nevertheless, it was Leonov who was to be the first of the earthlings to go into outer space.

He prepared for the flight for two and a half years, performing special exercises developed by doctors. However, he had no idea what difficulties he was going to face.

Leonov's spacesuit had a life support system and increased protection from radiation and cold. But it also weighed a lot, and its rigid casing required great muscular strength. After taking several pictures, Leonov suddenly felt the spacesuit bursting from the inside. After 3 minutes, it almost doubled, and the cosmonaut himself seemed to be floating inside it. Due to the increased pressure, the temperature exceeded the norm, oxygen was running out, and Leonov could easily lose consciousness. But he still has to return to the ship ...

After completing all the tasks from the MCC, the crew was given the go-ahead for landing. But in the atmosphere, the automatic attitude control system malfunctioned. Belyaev manually activated the brake motor and tried to orient the capsule ...

Instead of the steppes of Kazakhstan, the cosmonauts landed in the Perm taiga. And yet they were found. First, the canopy of the parachute in the trees was seen from the plane, and by the evening two foresters arrived at the landing site on skis with everything they needed.

Film about cosmonaut Leonov

The ups and downs of the flight half a century ago could only remain in the documents, but the actor and producer Yevgeny Mironov decided to embody them on the screen. The film "Time of the First", released recently, shows the details of this event. To avoid blunders, the director turned to Alexei Leonov. “I corrected the entire script from start to finish,” said the cosmonaut.

Then I saw the film in draft form, without framing, so to speak, without music. And again I forced the director to redo some scenes ... I'll tell you honestly: when I first saw "Time of the First", I myself was frightened of what I had to endure, and said to Zhenya (Yevgeny Mironov - performer of the role of Leonov): "Give me a gun!" ".

That flight was not the last for Leonov. In the late 1960s, he was part of the preparation team for the flight to the moon. But after the successful landing of the Americans there, the program was curtailed. And although the cosmonauts wrote reports about sending them on a flight on an unfinished apparatus, Korolyov did not go for it.

In 1971, Leonov escaped death again. As the commander of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft, he was suspended from the flight due to health problems of the crew member Valery Kubasov. MCC sent back-ups - Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev - into orbit. During the descent of the vehicle, they all died tragically.

And Aleksey Leonov, 4 years later, together with Kubasov, went into space again - within the framework of the Soyuz-Apollo program. In the midst of cold war the Soviet leadership decided on a diplomatic step: the docking of the Soviet Soyuz-19 and the American Apollo. The meeting in space was unforgettable: a gala dinner on board the Soyuz, easy communication ... Apollo commander Thomas Stafford and Soyuz commander Alexei Leonov are still friends (Leonov even helped Stafford adopt two orphans from Russia).

In the future, the life of Alexei Arkhipovich was inextricably linked with the cosmonaut corps. In 1992, he retired with the rank of Major General, but to this day he is engaged in social and political work in his free time, he writes pictures.

Alexey Leonov - documentary

Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Alexei Leonov was born on May 30, 1934 in the village of Listvyanka, Tisulsky District, Kemerovo Region, into a large family. His father worked as chairman of the village council, was repressed, then rehabilitated. In 1948 the family moved to Kaliningrad.

In 1955, Leonov graduated from the 10th Military Aviation School of Initial Pilot Training in Kremenchug, in 1957 - from the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots with a degree in "fighter pilot", in 1968 - from the Air Force Engineering Academy. NOT. Zhukovsky (VVIA), specializing in "design and operation of aerospace vehicles and engines for them" (qualification - "pilot-engineer-cosmonaut"), in 1981 - postgraduate studies at the VVIA. On March 16, 1981 at VVIA he defended his thesis of candidate of technical sciences.

Since 1957, Leonov served as a pilot of the 113th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 10th Guards Fighter Aviation Division of the 69th Air Army of the Kiev Military District, since 1959 - the senior pilot of the 294th separate reconnaissance aviation regiment of the 24th Air Army as part of a group Soviet troops in Germany. He flew 278 hours, made 115 parachute jumps.

On March 7, 1960, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, he was enrolled as a student-cosmonaut in the cosmonaut corps of the Air Force Cosmonaut Training Center (at present, the Yu.A. space flights (1st cosmonaut corps). He held the posts of cosmonaut (since 1961), cosmonaut-instructor (since 1966), deputy commander of the 1st cosmonaut corps (since 1966), senior instructor-cosmonaut, deputy head of the 1st department (since 1969. ), Deputy Head of the CTC (since 1970), Commander of the Cosmonaut Detachment (since 1976), First Deputy Head of the Cosmonaut Training Center for Flight and Space Training (in 1982-91).

On account of Alexei Leonov two space flights (total flight time - 7 days, 33 minutes, 8 seconds) and the world's first spacewalk.

Leonov made its first flight on March 18, 1965 as a co-pilot of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft together with Pavel Belyaev. He went into space and spent 12 minutes outside the ship. 9 sec., Moving away from it at a distance of up to 5.35 meters. The flight was accompanied by contingencies. Due to the difference in pressure, the spacesuit swelled up, this prevented the cosmonaut from returning to the airlock (the hatch diameter was critically small) and Leonov had to relieve the pressure in it. Upon returning, the ship's automatic control system failed and the landing was carried out manually. The crew landed in an off-design area - 180 km north of Perm, was discovered four hours later in the taiga, but due to deep snow it was evacuated only two days later.

In 1967-70. led a group of astronauts who were preparing for a flight to the moon. After the closure of the lunar program, he underwent training under the DOS program (long-term orbital station), but he failed to fly to the first Salyut stations.

During the second flight, July 15-21, 1975, as a crew commander, he took part in the first docking of ships different countries- "Soyuz-19" (USSR) and "Apollo" (USA). Then in orbit there was a meeting and a historic handshake of the members of two crews - Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov, Vance Brand, Thomas Stafford and Donald Slayton.

In September 1991, after leaving the Cosmonaut Training Center, by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense, he was placed at the disposal of the Air Force Commander-in-Chief for subsequent dismissal from active military service (by age). Since March 9, 1992 - Major General of Aviation, retired.

In 1991-92. held executive positions in the international company Chetek, was the director of the Chetek-cosmos company.

In 1992 he was elected President of the Alfa-Capital Foundation, established by Alfa Group. In 2000 he was appointed Vice President of Alfa Bank.

At present, Leonov is an advisor to the first deputy chairman of the bank's board of directors, Oleg Sysuev, and is a member of the United Russia party.

Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Astronautics. Author of more than 10 scientific papers and 4 inventions, as well as a number of books, including "Pedestrian of Space", "Solar Wind", "Going into Open Space" and others.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Orders of the Red Star, "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" III degree, Friendship, "For Services to the Fatherland" III and IV degrees. Has departmental and public awards.

Awarded foreign titles and awards: Hero of Socialist Labor of the NRB, Hero of Labor of the DRV, Order of Georgy Dimitrov (NRB), Karl Marx (GDR), State Banner (Hungary), "For Distinction" I degree (Syria), "For Merit" III degree (Ukraine).

One of the craters on the moon is named after him. In the homeland of Alexei Leonov in the Kemerovo region and on the Alley of Cosmonauts in Moscow, his bronze busts have been installed.

Leonov is involved in charity work (the "Life Line" program - helping children with cardiac diseases). He is fond of painting, wrote about 200 paintings. In 1965 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR, since 2004 - an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts. In collaboration with the science fiction artist Andrei Sokolov, he created a number of postage stamps of the USSR on the space theme. He is the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, has the 2nd category in cycling, 3rd category in fencing.

Married. Wife - Svetlana Pavlovna (born in 1940) was the editor of the editorial and publishing department at the Cosmonaut Training Center. The eldest daughter Victoria (born in 1961) died in 1996. Daughter Oksana (born in 1967) graduated from the Military Institute of Foreign Languages, works as a translator.

Leonov Alexey Arkhipovich was born in a small village called Listvyanka, which was in the Tisulsky district of the West Siberian Territory (now the Kemerovo Region), in 1934 on May 30. His father, Arkhip Alekseevich, born in 1892, was an ordinary peasant, and his mother, Evdokia Minaevna, devoted her whole life to teaching.

When Alexei was three years old, together with his mother, he settled in Kemerovo, where his father came after the Civil War. As you know, Lesha was the 8th child in the family, who eagerly went to school in 1943. However, he did not succeed in graduating from the Kemerovo educational institution due to the fact that, together with his family, he was forced to leave for Kaliningrad (then Konigsberg), where his father worked.

Exactly ten years later, Alexey Arkhipovich graduated from the Kaliningrad secondary school, after which he was given a certificate of education. According to Leonov himself, he was never particularly proud of the good marks that were affixed in this graduation document, since most of all he valued in himself knowledge about art and aviation.

Alexei woke up to love aircraft engines and designs of flying vehicles in his early youth, when he watched his older brother, an aviation technician by profession, happily fix all kinds of parts. Together with his sporting achievements, his interest in airplanes pushed Leonov to enroll in a pilot school located in central Ukraine, namely in the city of Kremenchuk. However, Alexei Arkhipovich did not stop there, and in the period from 1955 to 1957 he received a higher education as a fighter pilot, after which he began to fly in combat regiments.

Thanks to his perseverance, knowledge and physical training in 1960, having passed a difficult selection competition, Leonov was enrolled in the first famous cosmonaut corps of the Soviet Union. After three years of preparation, on the night of March 18-19, 1965, Alexei Arkhipovich, together with Pavel Belyaev, made the first flight into open space on the Voskhod-2 spacecraft, where he showed exceptional courage and courage. After this experience, Leonov became the deputy of the Soviet cosmonaut corps, and in the period from 1967 to 1970 took over command of a group of specialists working on the lunar program.

The great pilot-cosmonaut Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov has been awarded the Orders of Lenin and the Red Star more than once in his entire professional career. In addition, he was repeatedly awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor in Bulgaria and the Republic of Vietnam, and he also became the owner of many other medals and orders from other countries.

Today Alexey Arkhipovich works and lives in the city of Moscow with his beloved wife Svetlana Pavlovna, from whom he had two daughters in 1961 and 1967 - Victoria and Oksana.