Viktor Gorbatko

Viktor Vasilyevich Gorbatko

Viktor Gorbatko in Vologda (2011 year)
Cosmonaut
Nationality Soviet
Born (1934-12-03) December 3, 1934
Ventsy-Zarya, Krasnodar Krai, Soviet Union
Other occupation
 Pilot
Rank Major General, Soviet Air Force
Time in space
 30d 12h 47m
Selection Air Force Group 1
Missions Soyuz 7 Soyuz 24 Soyuz 37
Mission insignia
Awards Hero of the Soviet Union (2)
Order of Lenin (2)

Viktor Vasilyevich Gorbatko (Russian: Ви́ктор Васи́льевич Горба́тко; born December 3, 1934) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 7, Soyuz 24, and Soyuz 37 missions.[1]

Early life

Viktor Vasilievich Gorbatko was born on December 3, 1934 to Vasili Pavlovich and Matrena Aleksandrovna Gorbatko.[2] Viktor was raised in the Northern Caucasus settlement of Ventsy-Zarya in the Gulkevich district. Gorbatko had four siblings, an older brother, Boris, two older sisters, Elena and Valentina, and Ludmila, the youngest sibling. Viktor was given the opportunity to learn from Nadezdha Karaulova who taught from ABC books that were often censored by the Nazi’s of everything that had to do with the Soviet histories. Viktor finished seventh grade in 1949 and then attended a secondary school in the Novokubanski district.[2]

Personal Life and Career

Viktor’s interest in becoming a pilot was sparked during the conflict between the Soviet’s and the Nazi’s. His siblings often told him stories of brave pilots and their adventures and he too followed in their footsteps. Upon joining the Soviet Army in 1952, Viktor requested to be assigned to flight school.[2] Following his enlisting, Viktor was sent to the 8th Military Aviation School of Pilot Basic Training in the Ukrainian town of Pavlograd, Dnepropetrovsk Region where he was taught to fly. Viktor graduated on June 23, 1956 as a lieutenant in the Soviet air force.[2]

Gorbatko married his first wife Valentina Pavlovana Ordynskayar. Gorbatko also had two children, Irina his first daughter, and Marina, his second daughter, in 1960.

Gorbatko became part of the 86th Guards Fighter Regiment of the 119th Fighter Division, attached to the 48th Air Army operating out of the Odessa Military District in Moldavia. On June 22, 1957, Gorbatko achieved the rank of senior pilot. He would not achieve the senior lieutenant ranking until August 6, 1958, and in October would achieve the military pilots ranking, third class.[2]

After leaving the space program in 1982 he taught at the Air Force Engineering Academy in Moscow.

Awards

His multiple Soviet and Russian Federation awards include:

His foreign awards include:

Viktor Gorbatko (left) and Yury Glazkov (right) on a 1977 U.S.S.R. postage stamp

References

  1. ↑ Spacefacts
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Burgess, Hall, Collin, Rex (2009). First Soviet Cosmonaut Team: Their Lives, Legacy, and Historical Impact. Praxis Publishing. pp. 45, 46, 47. ISBN 978-0-387-84823-5.


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