First man in space Yuri Gagarin, "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" #1 (1964 photo)First woman in space Valentina Tereshkova, "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" #6 (1969 photo)Veteran of three space flights, "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" Valery Ryumin (1998 photo)Veteran of three space flights, "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" Viktor Gorbatko (2011 photo)Veteran of six space flights, "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR" Sergei Krikalev (2004 photo)
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 was the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest title that could be awarded to a Soviet citizen for performing heroic deeds while in service of the state.
The title was assigned by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet for the outstanding feat of space flight. The insignia of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR is worn on the right side of the chest above orders and decorations.[1] If worn with honorary titles of the Russian Federation, the latter have precedence.[3]
Award description
The title is a 25mm wide by 23.8mm high convex pentagon with a gilt silver rim. In the center is an image of the terrestrial globe with the territory of the Soviet Union enamelled in red. A gold star denotes Moscow as the point of origin of a gilt orbital path going around the globe once to reach a silver satellite at the upper left of the globe. A second orbital path, this time enamelled in red, starts at the bottom center of the globe going up in an arc narrowing along the way to reach a gilt spacecraft above the globe. Along the upper left edge of the pentagon above the globe, the gilt relief inscription "PILOT" (Russian: ЛЕТЧИК), along the upper right edge of the pentagon above the globe, the gilt relief inscription "COSMONAUT" (Russian: КОСМОНАВТ), along the bottom edge of the pentagon under the globe, the gilt inscription "USSR" (Russian: СССР), along the left and right lower edges of the pentagon, prominent gilt laurel branches. The reverse of the insignia is plain except for the award serial number.[1]
The insignia is secured to a standard Russian square mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The award is secured to clothing with a threaded stud and nut behind the mount. The mount is covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.[1]
List of Pilot-Cosmonauts of the USSR
The individuals listed below have all received the honorary title "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR".[4] List is sorted by the serial number of the award.
^ a b c d"Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 14 April 1961" (in Russian). Legal Library of the USSR. 1961-04-14. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
^"Law of the Russian Federation of 20 March 1992 No 2555-1" (in Russian). Commission under the President of the Russian Federation on state awards. 1999-12-15. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
^"Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 7 September 2010 No 1099" (in Russian). Russian Gazette. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
^Шамсутдинов, Сергей (2013). "Знак «Лётчик-космонавт»" [Award "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR"]. Новости космонавтики. Москва: Петербургский коллекционер. Archived from the original on 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2019-06-18 – via Космическая энциклопедия ASTROnote.