Biography of Tereshkova astronaut woman. Biography of Valentina Tereshkova: the path to a brilliant career, personal life. Muslim Magomayev - The girl's name is a seagull.
The first woman who went back in 1963 to conquer interplanetary space was Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova. She piloted the spaceship alone, thus providing scientists with material to study the effect on female body various environmental factors.
Until now, the legendary female astronaut remains the first and only one who was ever able to fly a comic ship without the help of other crew members. Valentina Tereshkova, whose name is forever inscribed in the history of the space industry in golden letters, in the eyes of many compatriots and people around the world remains an amazing and fragile woman with an iron character.
The woman who became a legendary figure in the field of astronautics and the first to receive the rank of major general was born and brought up in a family of ordinary workers. Valentina Tereshkova, whose biography will be described briefly in this publication, was born in one of the most beautiful spring days- March 6, back in 1937. How the life and career of Valentina Tereshkova, who received the status of "the first woman-cosmonaut", developed further, read on.
Early childhood and youth
The life path of the future Hero Soviet Union began in the village of Bolshoe Maslennikovo, located west of Yaroslavl, in the Tutaevsky district. The girl's parents, who settled here, not only did housework, but also promoted the industry in the country: the mother - textile, and the father - agricultural production.
The family of the future cosmonaut devoted himself completely to work in order to put the country on its feet in the post-war period. Therefore, the childhood of young Vali was not as joyful as she would have liked. early years Valentina calls her life a difficult childhood, memories of which are associated with devastation, grief, despair and pain of loss. The fact is that the father of little Valya died during the hostilities during the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940).
Five years after the death of his father, when the Great Patriotic War, in 1945, Valentina Tereshkova entered the school. But, alas, the girl did not have a chance to master the sciences perfectly. After 7 years she had to leave school. The reason for this was the heavy financial situation family, because Vali's father died at the front, and it was difficult for his mother to manage the household alone.
Therefore, the future cosmonaut Tereshkova, a few days after the end of the seventh grade, leaves for the city of Yaroslavl, where she gets a job at a factory. But Valentina's thirst for knowledge did not disappear. During the day she worked at a tire factory, and after work she ran to classes in the "evening" to master general program training among other people representing the working class of Soviet society. And already at that time, the future cosmonaut showed interest in flights.
Vali's new hobby
Skydiving from an airplane turned out to be especially exciting and exciting for her. When you find out how many jumps she made in total, you might be surprised, because the number 163 (namely, how many times Valentina jumped with a parachute) is a very outstanding indicator even for a man, not to mention the fact that Valya was still a girl!
But the classes at the aviation club did not portend the heights that Tereshkova Valentina Vladimirovna was able to achieve as a result.
By chance, parachutist Valya Tereshkova in the early 60s learned about the idea of the famous Soviet designer and an active figure in the rocket and space industry Sergei Korolev to send a woman on a star journey. She almost immediately had a burning desire to go on a long space flight. Moreover, Valentina Tereshkova is one of the few candidates who ideally meet the criteria by which Sergey Korolev and other organizers of the project select. Namely:
- Height no more than 1 m 70 cm.
- Weight no more than 70 kg.
- Age not older than 30 years.
I must say that those wishing to go on a journey to the stars, the exact duration of which is initial stage selection was not reported, among Soviet women there was practically none. Thus, Valentina Tereshkova became one of the candidates applying for a pilot position in the Vostok-6 spacecraft. As a result, only five girls passed the selection, who were waiting for intensive training and lengthy theoretical classes at the space school.
But the most striking thing was that she decided to hide the real purpose of her departure from her loved ones: before flying into space, Valya simply told everyone that she was leaving for the next parachuting competition. Relatives learned about Tereshkova's heroic journey as a fait accompli when they heard the news on the radio.
3 – 2 – 1… Launch
In what year did the historic flight of the first woman astronaut take place? In 1963, one of the June days. From that moment, the biography of Valentina Tereshkova began new round, where she is no longer just a parachutist and social activist, but also a woman who flew into space first and alone (that is, without a crew and team).
Those who are interested in the detailed details of Valentina Vladimirovna's journey among the stars, of course, want to know what it was like exact time astronaut flight. It is worth noting that the duration of the stay of the first female pilot of a spacecraft in orbit did not exceed three days. To be more precise, Valya Tereshkova spent on board the space aircraft"Vostok-6" 4850 minutes.
According to the flight reports, the first woman in space circled our planet 48 times, after which she took the ship to the planned landing site. Indeed, the equipment spaceship began to fail a few hours before the expected landing time. As a result of the failure, Valentina Tereshkova was unable to start the Vostok-6 spacecraft for landing by her own efforts. However, thanks to the automatic curation function, the device was still landed on Earth, although many kilometers farther from the intended landmark.
After an extreme landing and a three-day fast, Valya exchanged her supplies for food with local residents, which upset Sergei Korolev himself, who later stated that with him no other representative of the female half of humanity would go to conquer outer space.
A little less than a quarter of a century will pass before a woman will fly into space again, the second after Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova. But by that time, Sergei Korolev will already be resting in the cemetery.
After star travel
As we said earlier, the representative of the working class, at the age of 26, conquered space. And at the same age, she got married, already being the owner of the title of "the first woman to conquer the expanses of space."
This marriage gave a crack about 5 years later, when the family already had the daughter of Valentina Tereshkova, Nikolaeva Elena Adrianovna. It is worth noting that she became the first child in the world, whose mother and father flew into space.
Over time, life under the same roof with the “despot” (as Valentina Vladimirovna will call him a few years after the divorce) will become impossible, and the wife will leave, taking her daughter and applying for an official divorce from the astronaut.
Although Tereshkova's personal life did not work out well the first time, the astronaut was still waiting for happiness. After an unsuccessful relationship with Adrian, she met her second husband, Yuli Shaposhnikov, with whom she failed to have common children. Julius had nothing to do with astronautics; he died on the eve of the new millennium, in 1999.
As for the daughter of Valentina Tereshkova, Elena also got married twice. And every time a pilot led her down the aisle:
- In the first case, it was Maiorov I.A., who gave Elena the first son of Alexei (date of birth 10/20/1995).
- In the second - Rodionov A.Yu., who became the father of Elena's second son, Andrei (date of birth 06/18/2004).
Children bear the names of their fathers and are currently mastering the sciences: the eldest is at Moscow State University, and the youngest is at school.
Having celebrated her next anniversary in March 2017, the eighty-year-old female cosmonaut Tereshkova is still actively engaged in political and social activities. The main priorities in her life are the family and grandchildren, with whom Valentina Vladimirovna loves to spend her free time. Author: Elena Suvorova
Valentina Tereshkova was born on March 6, 1937 in peasant family in the village of Bolshoe Maslennikovo Yaroslavl region. Her father was a tractor driver, her mother was a textile factory worker. Drafted into the Red Army in 1939, Tereshkova's father died in the Soviet-Finnish war.
In 1945, the girl entered high school number 32 of the city of Yaroslavl, seven classes of which she graduated in 1953. To help the family, in 1954 Tereshkova went to work at a tire factory, at the same time enrolling in evening classes at a school for working youth. Continuing to work at a textile mill, from 1955 to 1960 she passed distance learning at the College of Light Industry.
In March 1962, Tereshkova joined the CPSU.
Even while working and studying at the technical school, the future first female cosmonaut became interested in the sky - while studying at the local flying club, she made 163 parachute jumps. However, the girl wanted to fly - and she achieved admission to the first female cosmonaut squad, where, in particular, she was taught to fly an airplane. Tereshkova was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps on March 12, 1962 and remained in it until April 28, 1997.
"The load of the women's group of five people was greater than that of the men," Tereshkova recalled, specifying that in general the training system in those years was excessively rigid. But everyone "had one crazy idea - by all means, irreproachably undergo training and fly off."
Tereshkova's flight on the Vostok-6 spacecraft in near-Earth orbit, together with the Vostok-5 spacecraft piloted by Valery Bykovsky, lasted two days 22 hours and 50 minutes.
Colonel Nikolai Kamanin, who was involved in the selection and training of cosmonauts, described Tereshkova's launch in his book Hidden Space.
“The preparation of the rocket, the ship and all maintenance operations were exceptionally clear. Tereshkova’s launch reminded me of Gagarin’s launch in terms of the clarity and coherence of the work of all services and systems. Like April 12, 1961, June 16, 1963, the flight was prepared and started perfectly. Tereshkova during the preparation of the launch and launch of the spacecraft into orbit, who listened to her reports on the radio, unanimously declared: "She had a launch better than Popovich and Nikolaev." Yes, I am very glad that I was not mistaken in choosing the first woman cosmonaut, "notes Kamanin.
The first female astronaut has something to hide. That's why we'll never see a candid book published. Valentina Vladimirovna About Me. It's a pity. If she wrote at least half of the whole truth, the memoirs could become a world-class bestseller.
The point is not only in the sensational marriage with Nikolaev and not only in their divorce. When a famous person most life is hiding from journalists, you will inevitably think: why? After all, Tereshkova also had a happy, according to her, marriage that lasted 20 years; daughter became a doctor, gave birth to two grandchildren ... In the end, the first woman cosmonaut will forever remain the first, and this is also a kind of happiness. However, a moratorium on questions about Valentina Vladimirovna was established by her daughter Elena and former (now deceased) spouse: Cosmonaut No. 3 Andrian Nikolaev.
With pleasure, they once talked about the famous countrywoman, except perhaps in her native Yaroslavl region. Now, even there, there are almost no witnesses of Tereshkova's non-stellar life. The more valuable are the memories of her friends and relatives.
Born on the stove
Finding the village of Maslennikovo, where Valentina Tereshkova was born, was not easy. We went to see her grandmother's house - we got stuck. Yes, and the hut, where Vladimir Aksenovich And Elena Feodorovna Tereshkov the second daughter Valya was born, did not survive. Even the Cosmos Museum in the village of Nikulskoye was closed: apparently, the building was built hastily, and it quickly fell into disrepair. Then it was most likely restored. But from March 1 to June 15 this year, the museum is closed again: a re-exposition. Perhaps, on the day of the 55th anniversary of the flight, a heroine is expected here.
- Valentina's father died in Finnish when she was 2 years old, but she remembers well how he put her on a horse, - said former director museum Galina Agrafonova.- Vladimir Aksenovich was very handsome, and Valya was called daddy's daughter. She and paternal grandmother Matryona Titovna I loved her very much, often came to her later from Yaroslavl.
Valentina Tereshkova (center) among her friends. 1956 Photo: RIA Novosti
They said that the girl Valya was stubborn. She was not afraid to go into the forest alone, she knew all the mushroom and berry places. Somehow, already in Moscow, Valentina Vladimirovna admitted that Maslennikovo was called that because there was a lot of oil around. She was feisty, bold. At the age of 7, she asked to be put on a horse, fed the animal from her palm. She jumped into the pond not only as a soldier, but also upside down, which aroused the envy of the boys. Later, in Yaroslavl, she did the same from the Perekop bridge. And it's 15 meters to the water...
“In the summer, we all gathered at my grandmother’s in Maslennikovo,” she recalled. cousin Tereshkova Tamara Kabanova, living at Chebokovo station. - Valya usually came from Yaroslavl with older sister Lucy, their brother Volodya rarely visited. What did they play? Now I don't remember. Then there was nothing, not even dolls. And when they grew up, they helped their grandmother: clean up the cattle, in the garden. When Valya was at school, she had a camera, she loved to take pictures ... Many years later, she and I went to my grandmother at the cemetery. Only there was little time for conversations: with her, a bunch of bosses always came. In general, cousins often turned to her.
The Tereshkovs had three children. The youngest, Volodya, was born when his father was no longer alive. Vladimir Aksenovich, a tanker, was called up for service in 1939, and he died the same year. Elena Fedorovna was left alone and did not marry again.The story of the acquaintance of Tereshkova's parents is amazing. Volodya came to the Prokladovo farm to get married. But the girl did not like that he was from the peasantry, the clothes were rather poor, and she refused him. And the girlfriend standing next to Lena Kruglova admitted: "Well, in vain, I would love to go for him." The groom was not taken aback and immediately proposed to his girlfriend.
After the wedding, his mother Matrena Titovna suggested that the young people separate. We bought an old house: Valentina was born there. On the stove Having accepted the baby, the midwife wrapped the future cosmonaut in a sheepskin coat.
“There were no kindergartens then,” said Galina Agrafonova. - Valya's mother worked on a collective farm: a milkmaid on a farm. Accurate, principled. Didn't like gossip. The children helped with the housework. It even seems to me that Valya went to school not at the age of 7, but at 8: she sat in nannies with Volodya for a year.
Athletes-skydivers Valentina Tereshkova and V. Girs at the Yaroslavl airfield in 1959 pic.twitter.com/eqEJ95jJF7
— History in Photos (@RussiainPhotos) June 16, 2016
Mother did not allow me to study after school
Elena Fedorovna had a hard time. After the war, she and her children went to Yaroslavl to live with her mother. They lived in poverty. On a yellowed photograph in Tereshkov's school museum without a white apron. For many years she wore a faded old twill dress. The class teacher then wrote in the description: “The family is financially poorly provided, they live in a small room in a private house, from furniture there is only a bed, a table, a few chairs.”
“The guys wore potatoes, bread in handkerchiefs, milk in bottles,” the former director of school No. 32, where Tereshkova studied, picked up the conversation, May Nyushina. - More prosperous parents gave a testicle. The delicacy was duran, or cake. Sunflower, hemp. If linen - generally happiness! The ink was poured into a bottle, the pen was cherished like the apple of an eye. Nevertheless, Valya studied well. In physics there were fours, she knew decently mathematics, she loved history very much. At first there were disagreements with the Russian, but then everything worked out.
“Modest, but demanding,” noted classroom teacher Tamara Klimova and suggested that the guys choose Valya as a headman. Tereshkova played the dombra in the school orchestra, loved to sing and skied willingly. And soon parachuting firmly entered her life. Valya Shashkova from a parallel class she was invited to the section, then she herself left, and Tereshkova got carried away.
However, Valentina did not think of becoming a professional athlete. Since childhood, she dreamed of being ... a train driver. She avidly read books about Polzunov and after the 7th grade she wanted to enter the railway technical school. Mom didn't allow it. The family still lived hard: Valya had to go to work.
Pilot-cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (4th right) among skydivers. 1961 Photo: RIA Novosti
- Valentina was a bracelet in the women's team of the 5th assembly shop, - the site foreman at the Yaroslavl Tire Plant recalled Larisa Sidyakina.— I made wheel frames for Belarus tractors. The work is very hard, but they paid more than at other enterprises, and they got a job here according to the great pull.
You had to get up before dawn. The trams ran badly, there were a lot of people ... Less than a year later, my sister and mother persuaded Valya to go to the Krasny Perekop technical fabrics plant, where they worked themselves. Closer to home. In addition, it was time to think about the future: after graduating from evening school, Tereshkova entered the textile college.
Ribber, rover, oiler... Before becoming a secretary Komsomol organization, Valentina experienced all the hardships of working at the plant.
“With her, Komsomol life was in full swing,” the chief power engineer of Krasny Perekop shared his memories. Vyacheslav Romanov.- The whole committee was littered with parachutes: she headed the section ... They lived unimportantly: from paycheck to paycheck. But we came to them for tea as if we were at home. Valya cooked well. We did not consider ourselves poor back then. We tried to dress fashionably, did not go hungry. Until 1967, the stores had absolutely everything and cheap. Valya received 120-130 rubles as a secretary, and a good meal in the dining room cost a maximum of three rubles. Bread is free. At that time, little alcohol was consumed. They drank tea, dry wine, very rarely vodka. Her brother Volodya drank a little more ...
Pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union Valentina Tereshkova with her mother Elena Fedorovna Tereshkova (second from right). 1963 Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Mokletsov
According to the chief power engineer, Tereshkova wanted to link her fate with the plant, she even entered the correspondence textile institute ... But very soon her life changed dramatically. She was still skydiving, getting injured. She was silent about the fact that she got into the cosmonaut corps. And shortly before the flight, she came to her homeland and opened up with someone: “Perhaps you will hear about me soon.”
“My mother was summoned to the village council, they asked where Vladimir Aksenovich served, how he died,” the cousin said.
A little over a month later, on June 16, 1963, the whole world learned about the flight of the first female astronaut. And Yaroslavl that day just stood on its ears.
- Hearing the message, I immediately ran after Elena Feodorovna: “Go quickly, Valya has flown!” They didn’t have a TV,” recalled Tereshkov’s neighbor Nadezhda Isaeva. - And she cried: “Lord, I wouldn’t have broken ...”
Did Khrushchev marry cosmonauts
Whether she wanted it or not, after the flight, Valentina became a completely different person. Circumstances demanded it. Shortly after the flight, she arrived in Yaroslavl in her car. A rally was organized at the plant. And all the people were waiting at the gate when famous woman will go back. And Tereshkova was escorted to the workshop and taken out the back door to the pier to the boat ...
Then there was a meeting with fellow countrymen at the stadium. And again, people were waiting for the 26-year-old heroine, preparing, dressing up. They came and saw nothing.
“Later we met with her,” Romanov shared. But she couldn't be herself anymore. Maintained a different image. All the time with a retinue that never let her go for a minute. The secretaries of the regional and city committees wanted to be there. She seemed to ask, as before, “How are you?” But ... in a different tone. The speech was dominated by high-pitched phrases. And we learned about her life only from newspapers.
The first was she, a simple Yaroslavl weaver. And other women from the cosmonaut corps, of course, did not like it. Galina Agrafonova, who met with some of them, recalled that Irina Solovieva, And Valentina Ponomareva were, to put it mildly, dissatisfied ...“Tatyana Morozycheva should have been in place of Valentina,” Maya Nyushina confessed. - World champion, medals - to the floor. They were bosom friends, they practiced together, but Tatyana had much more jumps: 3.5 thousand ...
However, Morozycheva just got married, became pregnant, and she was expelled from the detachment. There were rumors that then she drank herself, having sold all her medals.
The press wrote a lot about Tereshkova and her understudies. Everything hidden will eventually come out. However, no one, except for close people, knows for certain the history of the first marriage and divorce of Valentina Vladimirovna.
How much has it been said that he married two astronauts Khrushchev however, no matter who we talked to, they all convinced us that Tereshkova could not marry by force. Third female astronaut Elena Kondakova summed up: “The members of the first detachment were such privileged people that Nikita Sergeevich himself listened to them. And if Valentina Vladimirovna had said her “no”, no Central Committee of the CPSU could have forced it.”Yaroslavl, who knew Tereshkova before the flight, recalled: she seemed to have some kind of fiancé before Nikolaev ... But who is he, where? .. One newspaper named Robert Silina, with whom Valentina worked at the flying club and whom she was allegedly supposed to marry. However, at home, no one admitted that he knew this man.
“Close relationships were rare then,” said Romanov. - Although, of course, they looked after Tereshkova. He was friends with Valentin Aristov. They went to the cinema, to the theater, walked in the evenings, probably kissed. And they did not hide their relationship.
“Nikolaev also had a bride in Chuvashia, and his mother wanted him to marry her,” Nyushina revealed the secret. - Well, what now? He and in Smolensk, where he served, had a girlfriend. They even told me there that Tereshkova had taken her fiancé away from her.
In a word, in regard to Tereshkova's personal life in the last half century, there are more questions than answers.
Marriage of pilot-cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Andrian Nikolaev. 1963 Photo: RIA Novosti / Valery Shustov
“In the eighties, they wrote that Valentina was lying on a dusty sofa and sipping Armenian cognac,” Agrafonova recalled. - Her assistant complained: that's why we are afraid to say something once again. When she came here, we were instructed: for God's sake, don't ask about her personal life.
Gossip about the daughter of Tereshkova and Nikolaev. They said that the girl was born prematurely, deaf. Fortunately, everything was in order, except that in childhood Lena suffered from strabismus. They put glasses on her, covering her good eye, so that the other would be corrected, and the problem was solved. She graduated with honors from high school and medical school.
By the way, Andrian Nikolaev, who refused to talk about ex-wife, admitted that he did not even doubt about the health of his daughter. I was so sure of myself. Even at 70 he was still a vigorous, strong man. But ... There was a feeling that he and Tereshkova entered into a parity agreement on non-disclosure of the facts of their family life. And, if so, it is worth respecting a man who has not stooped to “bed memories”. Although, no doubt, he would have made decent money on his memoirs.
“I talked a lot with Nikolaev,” Agrafonova said. “He is a very interesting, rich person inside. It was easy with him. Although Valentina Vladimirovna complained that Andrian's relatives had tortured him: “Why do all our people stay at the hotel, and him - some leave, others come. He is sitting in the corridor, writing something on his knee. And relatives are sleeping in the office. In Zvezdny they had a four-room, but small apartment. In the living room on both sides there are bookcases, a table and a rack with gifts, a study for two, two small bedrooms. The daughter slept with her grandmother.
Mother of Valentina Nikolaeva-Tereshkova Elena Fedorovna with her granddaughter Elena. 1964 Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Mokletsov
If people disagree, then there are reasons for that. So said the women who knew Tereshkova. A few years later, during the operation, Valentina Vladimirovna met the head of the CITO Yuli Shaposhnikov. They said he quit because of her old family. For nothing that "a modest and hard worker," as they said about him. Yes, and Valentina Vladimirovna always spoke warmly about her second husband (now also deceased).
Lobsters? No problems!"
Unfortunately, the first female cosmonaut had almost no truly close people. Beloved younger brother Volodya, who worked as a cameraman in Zvezdny, died long ago. Mom left earlier. For a very long time, Valentina Vladimirovna searched for the grave of her father, who died on the Karelian Isthmus. Thanks to one of the marshals of the Ministry of Defense, who allocated funds for flying around the area, she found a huge mass grave, overgrown with forest. She erected a monument and regularly visits there.
Now Tereshkova's retinue is much smaller. But she is as hardworking as ever. School teachers who once visited her said: I got up at 6 in the morning, cooked millet porridge, fed everyone ... She did a lot for Yaroslavl, helps people. One day, school principal Maya Nyushina became seriously ill and needed an operation. Thanks to Valentina Vladimirovna, it was made in Moscow for free.
Valentina Tereshkova with her brother Vladimir. 1971 Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Mokletsov
Cosmonaut Kondakova told how on the second day after the landing of the crew (Elena flew with Polyakov And Viktorenko) Tereshkova came: “Guys, what would you like?”
- We were in rehabilitation, and my husband had already bought everything that was possible. But Tereshkova could not leave it like that: “You have been in space for a long time, you need fresh fruits and vegetables.” And then Valera half-jokingly said: “Valentina Vladimirovna, we would like lobsters ...” She: “Valerochka, no problem!” And what do you think? A couple of days later she brought fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, lobsters, baked fresh bread herself. Another would have passed by the ears, but she showed such care ...
The government of the USSR and Russia never ignored the first female cosmonaut. Tereshkova has huge connections, thanks to which, they say, she became a general at the last moment before retiring. For many years - in state and public work, deputy of the State Duma of the 6th and 7th convocations. But... To be frank, not much is known about this side of her life...
Yaroslavl - Art. Chebokovo—from. Nikulskoe - Moscow.
Valentina Tereshkova became the first and this moment last woman, honored to go into space without a partner. Taking full responsibility for space flight, she was later promoted to major general. In Russia, this is the only case when similar status receives a representative of the weaker sex. It was in this rank that the woman ended her career by retiring. At that time, Valentina was 60 years old. Leaving behind a legendary role model, she is an important figure not only in the minds and hearts of the citizens of the Soviet Union, but also in world history. You will learn the biography of Valentina Tereshkova (briefly) from the article.
Early years, family
Tereshkova was born in the Yaroslavl region. The family of the future heroine of astronautics lived in Bolshoi Maslennikovo. Valentina's ancestors are peasants of Belarusian origin. Parents are ordinary representatives of the middle class: the mother worked in a textile factory, and the father worked as a tractor driver. Valentina's family lost their breadwinner early, who was called up for service during the Soviet-Finnish war. As part of the military battles, the man tragically died.
Youth
The future conqueror of space liked her studies. In addition to success at school, the girl developed an ear for music, honing her skills in playing the dombra. Having received a basic education after 7 years of schooling, Tereshkova decided to help her mother, who is trying her best to provide for her family and create decent conditions for the normal development of her daughter. Having made a decision, Valentina went to the Yaroslavl tire plant, where she received the position of a bracelet. The girl did not want to quit her studies, so after the work shift she hurried to the evening school, where she continued to receive an education.
On the way to a brilliant career as an astronaut
Future cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova entered the extramural to a technical school where she studied light industry. Studying was given to the girl easily, but did not bring much pleasure. Complex life circumstances did not allow Tereshkova to enjoy a simple student life. For several years, Valentina worked at Krasny Perekop, a plant located close to the girl's technical school. There she worked as a weaver, which Tereshkova could not call a dream profession.
In search of a hobby that could distract her from the boredom of the gray poor, the future astronaut discovered parachuting. Within the city limits, Valentina found a flying club, where she began to appear regularly, striking everyone with her fearlessness and willingness to conquer new heights. A new hobby played an important role in the fate of Valentina.
Meeting with the Queen
As the biography testifies, Valentina Tereshkova quickly achieved good results in parachuting and was not going to stop there. Thanks to a fortunate combination of circumstances at that time, Sergei Korolev, a well-known Soviet scientist, proposed to the higher-ranking authorities new project, main goal which was the space travel of a woman. The scientist's idea was approved, and in the early 60s, the selection of applicants for the title of "woman-cosmonaut" started. There were many who wanted to get a proud title, but the criteria for ladies were strict: no taller than 1.70 centimeters tall, no older than 30 years old, Weight Limit- 70 kilograms.
Among hundreds of candidates, Valentina Vladimirovna was singled out almost immediately. Her main rivals were Zhanna Erekina, Irina Solovieva, Valentina Ponomareva and Tatyana Kuznetsova.
After meeting Korolev, Tereshkova was determined to win the fight for the opportunity to fly into space. But the path to the goal was not easy.
Military service
The main contenders for the title of astronaut were called up for service, where, in the status of privates, they began to actively prepare for future exams. Valentina had to start training as part of the cosmonaut training program as a student of the second detachment. She quickly improved her position, demonstrating her willingness to learn and develop in the chosen direction during the examination period. This allowed her to move to the first squad.
During the training, the selected applicants tried to increase the body's resistance to the conditions of flight in outer space. Important components of the preparation were the lessons of moving in a weightless environment, testing the physical capabilities of the body in a thermal chamber, performing exercises with parachutes, and learning the rules for using a spacesuit. Important role the test in a chamber isolated from outside noise (sound chamber) also played a role, where all applicants for the title of “cosmonaut” stayed for 10 days. This test gave women an idea of what it is like to be in space all alone, which is difficult for a person, as a social being, to get used to.
Successful completion of tests
After passing all the exams, Korolev had to make a difficult choice, relying not only on the results of the exam, physical and moral readiness for space flight, but also on such factors as:
- Origin.
- The ability to be an active public figure, glorifying the party of the communist movement.
According to the results of examinations and medical examinations, all women had an equal chance of becoming the winner of the selection. In terms of origin, Tereshkova had a clear advantage. It was beneficial for the project leaders to send a woman into space who represents the working class. The fact that Valentna's father is a war hero also helped.
But the decisive factor was Tereshkova's ability to speak to the public. She was not embarrassed by journalists and their questions. The woman knew how to find the right answers and could remember the party and the greatness of communism in time. This allowed Valentina to receive the title of the main candidate for space travel. Ponamareva and Solovyova became reserve contenders.
Spacewalk
The flight of Valentina Tereshkova took place in early summer in 1963. On one of the days, which later became significant, she started from Baikonur - it was June 16th. For a three-day trip, she was given the Vostok 6 ship. The takeoff made by Tereshkova, and the way she voiced the launch reports, allows specialists to consider the activities of Valentina Vladimirovna along with the work done by the most experienced and successful cosmonauts - representatives of the stronger sex.
After the successful launch of the ship, no one expected that Valentina would experience some difficulties during the flight. The main problem the woman felt unwell. Despite the fact that she moved little, Tereshkova kept in touch with the ground station regularly, in accordance with all regulations. Weakened health did not become a reason for Valentina to return home, to Earth, earlier than planned. Having made 48 revolutions around the planet, she diligently filled out the logbook and proceeded with the landing operation.
The landing did not go according to plan due to a malfunction of the ship's equipment. Problems with the wires placed in the control system prevented Valentina from manually coordinating the ship. But the woman still managed to plant him, albeit in automatic mode.
Criticism Queen
"Vostok 6" sank to the ground in the territory Altai Territory, where Valentina Vladimirovna was greeted by local residents who were in a hurry to feed the hero, offering the best of the usual, traditional food. In return, Tereshkova gave away her own products, which she was provided with before the flight. This behavior was not approved by Sergei Korolev, who also reacted ambiguously to Tereshkova's health problems and her decision to orient the ship for landing in automatic mode. The man was extremely dissatisfied with the completed mission of the heroine and promised himself never again to be involved in projects involving female astronauts.
Career after the flight
Valentina Tereshkova went into space only once. After a successful space trip, she began working in the astronaut training department, where she worked as an instructor and participated in a number of projects as a research assistant. Tereshkova found her calling and decided to actively develop in this direction, so she entered the Air Force engineering academy named after Zhukovsky, after which she received the title of professor. This allowed the woman to write several works significant for science. The heroine of astronautics has repeatedly spoken about her readiness to go to Mars, even if the trip is planned one way.
After a sensational flight, the woman became interested in politics. Long time Valentina Tereshkova, whose photo you have the opportunity to see in the article, was a member communist party and an important public figure. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the woman began to represent United Russia, and after resigning, she was elected to the regional Duma in her native region.
In 2014, a woman was honored to lead charitable foundation. This allowed her to open several large educational institutions on the territory of Yaroslavl. In the same year, Valentina Tereshkova became the guest of honor at the opening ceremony Olympic Games that took place in Sochi.
Personal life
The year 1963 became important for Tereshkova Valentina Vladimirovna not only because of the space flight. In 1963, Valentina married her colleague Adrian Nikolaev. Nikita Khrushchev himself attended the wedding of lovers. In this marriage, the woman gave birth to a girl, who received the name Elena. When the daughter reached the age of majority, the couple decided to divorce. Later, the first female cosmonaut admitted that Adrian was often despotic towards her, which was especially noticeable when the couple got out into the people.
The second chosen one of Valentina is Julius Shaposhnik, a man who has achieved great heights in the military medical service. Major General, an important and influential man quickly found mutual language with daughter Tereshkova. The couple does not have common children, but this did not bother the lovers. Soon both began to enjoy the role of grandparents. Elena, the only heiress of the great female cosmonaut, was married twice, both times to pilots.
Valentina Tereshkova now
In 2017, the legendary woman celebrated her 80th birthday. Active political and public figure, a retired major general, smart and inspiring, she pays a lot of attention to her family, tries to spend more time with her grandchildren, but at the same time does not refuse development in the professional field. Since 2016, Valentina Vladimirovna has been a State Duma deputy. Having got the opportunity to do something good for her native region, the woman-cosmonaut took up the improvement of infrastructure, the improvement of the city, the construction of industrial and educational organizations.
Retirement age does not prevent Tereshkova from leading an active lifestyle. In 2004, on the advice of doctors, the woman decided to have an operation. Surgical intervention allowed Tereshkova to avoid a heart attack. Since that time, Valentin Vladimirovna has not complained about her health, but looking at her progress in political career, we can safely conclude that the health of the legendary astronaut is all right.
Notes on the anniversary of the first female cosmonaut I would like to start with a personal one. With a story about how Valentina Tereshkova made my mom cry.
It was in the mid 1980s. My mother's marriage to my father was cracking at the seams because of my parent's insatiable craving for alcohol.
Having tried all the means of struggle, my mother decided to turn to the head of the Committee of Soviet Women, Valentina Tereshkova. It was a naive letter full of despair, addressed to a man who, as it seemed to my mother, had achieved more in life.When the answer came, my mother began to cry. It was a standard paper with a verdict: "Your appeal has been sent to the district executive committee at the place of residence."
Of course, there could be no other answer. Valentina Vladimirovna could not solve all the problems of Soviet women. But for my mother and her peers, Tereshkova was a heroine, an example, a person who was almost idolized.
But in the mid-1980s, the woman-cosmonaut, the darling of the country, finally dissolved into an official, who was more of a state function.
"A new job could ruin her"
In the diaries of one of the creators of the first detachment of astronauts General Nikolai Kamanin you can find the following entry: “The idea to send a woman into space is my idea, the decision to send Tereshkova into flight is also my decision, formalized by the minutes of the State Commission. Here, in my diary, I can write down that Tereshkova, as the most famous woman the world I created. And I am proud of my creation: she has every right to universal love and respect.
And here is Kamanin's entry, dated February 1968: “Last night I had a long talk with Valentina Tereshkova at her request. A few days ago, Tereshkova summoned Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU B.N. Ponomarev and invited her to take the post of chairman of the Committee of Soviet Women (instead of N. Popova). Valya is frightened by this proposal and asked very much for help to give her up this honorary post. Three years ago, when the question of what Tereshkova should do after the flight was being decided, I urged Valya to prepare herself for major social and political activities .... Once again, I explained in detail to Tereshkova the need to intensify her social activities, trying to convince her that that, speaking from high state tribunes, she could be of great help to the cause of space exploration in our country. But Valya remained in her previous positions: she is for graduating from the academy and for continuing to work at the CPC. Motivating this decision, she referred to her illnesses and ailments, which had become more frequent in the last two or three years, to her desire to personally participate in the upbringing of Alenka (she has poor health, she often gets sick, and there is no nanny), to the need to strengthen the family (frequent trips for border and work in Moscow can disrupt the established order in everyday life). Valya, with tears in her eyes, begged me not to let her leave the Center, assuring me that new job can destroy her."
As a result, the will of the state turned out to be stronger than the personal desires of the first female cosmonaut. Tereshkova carried the duties assigned to her all her life and still carries them honestly.
But was it the dream of a simple girl from the village of Bolshoe Maslennikovo?
Valentina Tereshkova (center) among her friends. 1956 Photo: RIA Novosti
space competition
The village where Valya Tereshkova was born in 1937 does not exist today. Her father, Vladimir Aksenovich Tereshkov, died a heroic death in the Soviet-Finnish war. Mom and children moved to Yaroslavl, where Valya graduated from high school.
At less than 17 years old, in order to help the family, Valentina began to work, getting a job at the Yaroslavl Tire Plant as a bracelet in the assembly and vulcanization shop. In 1955, Tereshkova moved to the Krasny Perekop technical fabrics plant, where her mother and sister worked. In 1960, Valentina became the released secretary of the Komsomol committee of the plant.
The road to world fame Tereshkova opened passion parachuting. In the Yaroslavl flying club, she made 90 jumps.
After Gagarin's flight, the idea arose to launch a woman into space. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev seized on this idea, and there was a command to begin the selection of candidates.
The task was more difficult than with men - they were looking for applicants among military pilots. There were simply no such number of pilots in the USSR, so they were looking for paratroopers. Requirements: up to 30 years old, height up to 170 cm, weight up to 70 kg.
At the primary selection, 8,000 candidates were selected. Then 30 of them were chosen, five of the 30 were chosen, and they began preparations for the flight: Zhanna Yorkina, Tatyana Kuznetsova, Valentina Ponomareva, Irina Solovyova And Valentina Tereshkova.
Valentina Tereshkova in preparation for space flight. Photo: RIA Novosti
"Vostok-6"
Dr. Vladimir Yadzovsky, one of the founding fathers of "space medicine", later wrote that both in terms of medical indicators and the results of medical tests, Valentina Tereshkova was the worst of the best.
If Yuri Gagarin liked Sergei Korolev, then Valentina Tereshkova seemed like a suitable candidate for Nikita Khrushchev. The girl had a worker-peasant origin, her father died at the front, she herself was the secretary of the Komsomol. From the point of view of a politician, an ideal option for the first female astronaut.
Valentina Tereshkova was appointed the main pilot of the Vostok-6 spacecraft, Valentina Ponomareva and Irina Solovyova were assigned as backup pilots. Doctors insisted on two backups because of the "individual characteristics of the female body."
Tereshkova launched on the Vostok-6 ship on June 16, 1963. The head of the cosmonaut detachment, General Kamanin, noted in his diary that the launch went almost perfectly and they were not mistaken with Tereshkova.
Official reports stated that the woman's first flight was perfect. In fact, the leaders of the space program were not thrilled. It was not possible to complete the flight program completely due to Tereshkova's well-being - she was lethargic, inactive, and did not always respond to commands from the Earth. The last straw was the violation committed by the first female astronaut after landing: she, contrary to the categorical prohibition, began to eat food brought local residents, and gave them tubes of "space food" as souvenirs.
Valentina Tereshkova will be in the cosmonaut corps until 1997, in 1995 she will become the first female general Russian army, but will no longer fly into space.
Of the four girls who came to the cosmonaut corps, not one will rise into orbit. And in general, for half a century of manned flights, besides Tereshkova, only three Russians will go into orbit.
Was this a consequence of Tereshkova's flight? Here opinions differ greatly. But, by the way, Valentina Vladimirovna still holds the space record - she is the only woman in the world who has made a space flight alone.
The first "star" wedding
In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova married an astronaut. Andriyana Nikolaeva. There was a lot of gossip around the “cosmic marriage” - one said that the irrepressible Nikita Khrushchev married the couple (the Soviet leader was indeed at the couple’s wedding, which was celebrated in the government mansion on the Lenin Hills), others claimed that this marriage was a medical experiment, the purpose of which was check the impact of space on the human reproductive system.
In 1964, Tereshkova and Nikolaev had a daughter, who was named Elena. The attention of doctors was indeed riveted to the girl, but the daughter of the astronauts turned out to be a completely ordinary child, without any deviations and extrasensory abilities.
The "cosmic marriage" did not pass the test of time - in 1982, when the daughter came of age, Tereshkova and Nikolaev divorced.
Valentina Tereshkova, Andriyan Nikolaev and their daughter Alena. Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Mokletsov
assassination attempt
Absolutely all the first Soviet cosmonauts after the flight fell on a huge social burden - trips around the country and abroad. Soviet embassies stood in line to get a visit from the cosmonaut. General Kamanin, judging by his diary, was exhausted by distributing trips among his wards.
But if the men were still trying to escape, seeking inclusion in the process of preparing for new flights, then Tereshkova almost immediately began to prepare a public figure.
The words of General Kamanin, quoted above, say that Tereshkova herself tried to avoid this. But over time, she calmed down.
In 1969, Tereshkova almost lost her life due to politics. On January 22, the cosmonauts were on their way to a reception at the Kremlin on the occasion of the successful completion of the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 spacecraft flight.
Already on the territory of the Kremlin fired at the car with the astronauts Ensign Soviet army Victor Ilyin. The intruder was about to kill Brezhnev, but mistook for him the astronaut who was driving in the car Georgy Beregovoy. In the car, in addition to the driver and Beregovoy, there were astronauts Alexey Leonov, Valentina Tereshkova And Andrian Nikolaev. In six seconds, Ilyin fired 11 bullets, after which he was tied up. The astronauts were saved by the reaction - they managed to duck down. In addition, the cortege was covered by one of the motorcyclists of the escort motorcade, who was wounded.
Despite the reaction, the heroes of the cosmos still suffered - Beregovoi was injured in the face by glass fragments, and Nikolaev was injured by a bullet in his back. Car driver died Ilya Zharkov.
Life in the service of the state
From 1966 to 1989, Tereshkova was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in 1968-1987 she headed the Committee of Soviet Women, in 1971-1990 she was a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, from 1987 to 1992 - chairman of the Presidium of the Union of Soviet Societies for Friendship and Cultural Relations with foreign countries. This is only a small part of the posts that Tereshkova held.
In the post-Soviet period, when all the bumps fell on the heroes of a bygone era, Tereshkova somewhat went into the shadows, although she continued to engage in social activities. She did not expose anyone and did not repent of anything, she simply reduced communication with the press to a minimum.
In 2003, Tereshkova ran for the State Duma on the lists Russian party Life, but the party bloc did not overcome the electoral threshold.
Then she was invited to United Russia, and in 2008 Tereshkova became a deputy of the Yaroslavl Regional Duma. And in 2011, according to the lists of United Russia, Valentina Tereshkova was elected to State Duma and five years later again passed to the federal parliament.
The first female cosmonaut turns 80. Her few interviews are still devoid of sensational revelations. Having once accepted the “social burden” imposed on her by the state, Valentina Vladimirovna tried to retain her right to privacy, where only the closest are allowed. And this, of course, is the sacred right of a woman who has gone down in world history forever.
- © RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti
© RIA Novosti