calendarik.by invites you to the exhibition " 72 Heroes"

On April 14, 1961, the title of pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR was established. In the 30 years remaining before the collapse of the great country, this title was awarded to 72 people, including two women.

The corresponding Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued "in commemoration of the world's first human space flight on a satellite ship". The first person to be awarded this title was Yuri Gagarin. In the future, for almost every flight, Soviet cosmonauts were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 24 people received this title twice. 
Cosmonauts who flew into orbit twice in Soviet times, or even more often, were more than 24, but in the years of "perestroika" they decided that you can become a Hero of the Soviet Union only once, and for subsequent feats, the order is enough.
Three cosmonauts, Vladimir Kovalenok, Valery Ryumin and Vladimir Titov, did not become Heroes at the end of the Soyuz-25 flight in 1977 – they failed to complete the flight task of docking with the Salyut-6 station, but the title of pilot-cosmonaut was awarded to them without delay.Time is merciless-today, only 34 of the 72 Soviet cosmonauts are alive. Some of them, representatives of a dangerous profession, have lived to an advanced age, having passed 80 and even 90 years. According to a recent report prepared by Russian doctors, the main causes of death of the space heroes who have left us are the same diseases as the rest of the Russians. About 62% – cardiovascular diseases, 27% - oncology, the rest-other diseases.