Yevgeny Vasilyevich Khrunov (; 10 September 1933 – 20 May 2000)
was a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
cosmonaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
who flew on the
Soyuz 5
Soyuz 5 (russian: Союз 5, ''Union 5'') was a Soyuz mission using the Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union on 15 January 1969, which docked with Soyuz 4 in orbit. It was the first docking of two crewed spacecraft of any na ...
/
Soyuz 4 mission.
Early life
Yevgeny Khrunov was born on 10 September 1933 to Vasily Yegorevich and Agrafena Nikolayevna. Nicknamed “Zhenya” he had five brothers and two sisters. Khrunov's family was a farming family. Khrunov married Svetlana Sokolyuk and had a son on 13 July 1959.
He was born in
Prudy
Prudy (russian: Пруды) is the name of several rural localities in Russia:
* Prudy, Leningrad Oblast, a settlement in Leningrad Oblast
* Prudy, Vladimir Oblast, a village in Vladimir Oblast
Vladimir Oblast (russian: Влади́мирска ...
, Tula Oblast, Russian SFSR.
Education and career
Khrunov began officially being schooled in 1941. Khrunov was initially interested in pursuing farming in studies. His interest in flying would soon follow after he watched the planes during wartime. Once he graduated from primary school he enrolled at Kashira Agricultural Secondary School on scholarship and would graduate from there in 1952.
His teachers regularly spoke highly of him and considered him a hard working student. In 1952 Khrunov was also drafted into the Soviet Army where he would follow his interests in becoming a pilot and apply for pilot school. Khrunov was accepted and continued school in the military at Pavlograd in Ukraine. Khrunov later transferred to the Serov Higher Air Force School in Rostov Oblast, Southwestern Russia.
Upon graduation he would receive the rank of Lieutenant. Khrunov later received another promotion to senior lieutenant on 6 August 1958. The following year Khrunov was interviewed along with Gorbatko in regards to becoming a cosmonaut although they were not expressly told that was what they were being interviewed for. Both Gorbatko and Khrunov were evaluated in medical exams and approved for training to become cosmonauts.
Awards
*
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
*
Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
The honorary title Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR (russian: Летчик-космонавт СССР) was a state award of the Soviet Union presented to all cosmonauts who flew for the Soviet Space Agency. Usually accompanying the distinction ...
*
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration ...
*
Order of the Red Star
The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...
*
*
Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
*
Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
*
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
*
Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
*
Medals "For Impeccable Service" 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
*
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Soviet Militia"
*
Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"
Later life
After leaving the space program in 1980 he worked at the
30th Central Scientific Research Institute, Ministry of Defence (Russia), and later he was appointed to the Chief State Committee for foreign economic relations until his retirement in 1989.
He died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
on 20 May 2000.
References
External links
*
The official website of the city administration Baikonur – Honorary citizens of Baikonur*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khrunov, Yevgeny
1933 births
2000 deaths
1969 in spaceflight
Soviet cosmonauts
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Spacewalkers