The editors would like to thank Yuri Sergeevich Apenchenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Literary Skills of the Literary Institute named after A.M. Gorky, for the unique materials provided.

Instead of a preface

The end of the 1960s-1970s was a time of intense struggle in the space race between the superpowers of the USSR and the United States.

After the first dizzying successes, the Soviet cosmonautics suffered crushing losses. In 1966, General Designer Korolev suddenly dies, and the next year, when the new Soyuz-1 spacecraft fails to land, cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies.

In 1968, a plane crash took the life of the planet's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin.

Against this background, the Americans have a triumph. In 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft with a crew of three makes a landing on the Moon. But the space race is not just a duel between the Soviet "Unions" and the American "Apollo" - it is a struggle of ideologies, a war of meanings. Each new step of the opponent should overwhelm. How to respond to the American lunar landing?

In April 1971, the Soviet Union made a technological breakthrough and launched the world's first manned orbital station Salyut-1 into space. The world's first multi-day Soviet space expedition is sent to her. However, the Soyuz-10 spacecraft only docks poorly to the station. Cosmonauts V. Shatalov, A. Eliseev, N. Rukavishnikov undock with heroic efforts without damaging the Salyut-1, and return to Earth without even visiting the station.

Race is race. At the beginning of the summer of 1971, the Soviet leadership is preparing a new crew for a flight to the orbital station. And again an emergency situation ... Two days before the start, doctors find a darkening of the lungs at the flight engineer of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft Valery Kubasov. The state commission removes the entire crew from the flight, not yet having time to find out that the unexpectedly discovered illness of Kubasov is just an allergic reaction.

Cosmonauts Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov, Pyotr Kolodin remain on Earth, a backup crew is assigned to the flight: Dobrovolsky, Volkov, Patsaev.

An unexpected castling is a blow for Leonov's main crew and a great success for the understudies. Especially for the commander of the crew, Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Dobrovolsky. He has been in the cosmonaut corps for eight years and understands perfectly well: it is possible for years, at the limit of human capabilities, to prepare for space flight, but so forever and remain a backup astronaut on Earth.

But no one knows that the backup crew drew a tragic lot. Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev, docked to the orbital station, extinguish the fire on it and, having worked in space for twenty-three days, will die during their return to Earth due to the depressurization of the descent vehicle. Another reason for their death is that the astronauts do not have space suits. They fly into space in flight suits and caps. This, by the way, is also an echo of a star race.

Without spacesuits, a Soviet spacecraft can fit not two, but three astronauts - one more than the Americans.

But there would be no great victories in Russian cosmonautics if they were not preceded by great defeats.

“We were constantly urged on:“ Hurry! Quicker!"

Yuri Sergeevich Apenchenko, essayist, lecturer at the A. M. Gorky Literary Institute, author of one of the most famous essays about cosmonauts "Night on the Mountain", in the past a special correspondent for the newspaper "Pravda". He covered events related to space research and flights, he was one of the journalists who asked questions during the last interview of the Soyuz-11 crew.

“I don’t remember a case where the space crew was replaced literally on the eve of launch,” he wrote in his foreword to the interview transcript. - I don't think this happened at all, that's why I don't remember. I saw them only once before the meeting of the decisive state commission (except for Vadim Volkov, whom I knew from the first flight) - I flew with them from Chkalovsky to the cosmodrome in a half-empty plane. And here you are - please! Trinity, starting tomorrow at Soyuz-11: Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, Victor Patsaev.

And not Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov, Pyotr Kolodin, for which we prepared in advance: we met, talked, asked questions at a traditional press conference in Zvezdny. Valera Kubasov's doctors suddenly discovered a darkening in the lung.

The question was: to change the flight engineer or the entire crew? The crew was replaced, which is understandable: this tiny team has been working for years. Pyotr Kolodin, for example, by that time (ten years after Gagarin) was already known as an eternal understudy. Slava Golovanov said that in the evening Peter went to his hotel and bitterly complained: "Now I will never fly again!" And Vasily Pavlovich Mishin was reproached for a historical error.

If you were not reading, but listening to our conversation with Georgy Dobrovolsky and his comrades, you would have drawn attention to the continuous rumble accompanying her. It was the chairs that were carried out of the conference room of the state commission. We were given time for conversation on an exceptional basis and were constantly urged on: “Hurry! Quicker!". Before the start, the crew is always full of worries. Phillips was with me that day, and naturally I turned it on. No one else had a tape recorder. Yes, even if there were ... I have a photograph of those days on my wall - our journalistic team at the foot of the rocket: Yaroslav Golovanov (Komsomolskaya Pravda), Mikhail Rebrov (Krasnaya Zvezda), Boris Konovalov (Izvestia), Alexei Gorokhov ( APN), Nikolay Zheleznov (TASS).

And with none of them I can no longer meet. I write - one.

On June 4, 1971, two days before the launch of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft, six journalists of the central publications of the USSR interviewed the crew - Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev. Among the journalists was a correspondent for the Pravda newspaper, Yuri Apenchenko, who recorded the interview on a tape recorder. Forty-five years later, on the anniversary of the tragic death of the cosmonauts, he submitted this unique entry to the editorial office of the Aerospace Sphere magazine along with photographs that had not been published before.

A strange feeling arises when you listen to this tape - lively voices, general laughter, which now and then interrupts informal conversation. It seems as if a time machine has moved to that amazing time - the time of the beginning of space exploration.

The only pity is that the crew cannot be warned about the danger ...

Victor Ivanovich Patsaev. Space pilot, Hero Soviet Union(posthumously). Research Engineer of Soyuz-11 and Salyut-1 Orbital Station. Held a large complex on board the station scientific research... Victor Patsaev is the first astronomer of the planet who worked above the Earth's atmosphere. Participated in the development of samples of space technology. S.P.Korolev was very fond of this cosmonaut. "Learn patience from Patsaev," said chief designer... On June 19, 1971, Patsaev celebrated his 38th birthday on board the station. As a gift from the crew, he received an onion and lemon, smuggled on board the ship. After mashed space food, it was a royal treat.

Victor Patsaev: “Children do not know, for them it will be a surprise” ...

- Victor, what did you do in the last days in Moscow?

V. I. Patsaev: Preparing for the upcoming flight. At home, nothing special. Congratulated my little son and daughter with a successful graduation school year... Son Dima, daughter Svetlana, 13 and 9 years old. We finished well, well done, I'm happy with them. We went and rested one Sunday in the territory of the Pirogov reservoir. We caught the fish a little with fishing rods. There was no more free time.

- What have you read?

I came across a wonderful collection of poems. I like many writers and poets. As a child, he was fond of Jack London, he loved Lermontov's poetry. He knew a lot by heart. I love our classics, science fiction: stories by Stanislav Lem, the Strugatsky brothers, Arthur Clarke.

- Did you seriously engage in sports before starting preparation for the flight?

I did. Not professional, but a lot. I went skiing a lot. I went fishing, hunting. He was engaged in fencing, shooting, many sports.

- Do your relatives know that you are flying?

Mother, wife - yes. Nobody else. Children do not know, for them it will be a surprise.

Vladislav Nikolaevich VOLKOV. Soviet cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (the second time the title was awarded posthumously). Participated in the creation of the Vostok and Voskhod spacecraft. In 1969 he made his first flight as a flight engineer of the Soyuz-7 spacecraft. Flight engineer spaceship Soyuz-11 and the Salyut-1 orbital space station. On board the station, Volkov was engaged in the development of on-board systems and scientific experiments... For his love of football, journalists called Volkov the Footballer. He was interested in football news even in orbit. “See you on Earth, prepare some cognac,” joked Vladislav Volkov during the last communication with the Mission Control Center.

Vladislav Volkov: "Cosmonauts have never come to the Kirov region before me"

- Vladislav, you said that you traveled a lot around the country ...

V.N. Volkov: I think I was lucky. The trips were very interesting: exactly what I wanted to see. First - on Far East... I stayed there for 14 days: on Sakhalin, in Khabarovsk, Ussuriisk. I met with border guards at the outposts. I have already published notes about this trip. Then he traveled to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan to the Komsomol congresses. I had to meet with young people a lot, talk a lot about my flight, friends, profession, work. I was also at a regional conference in the Kirov region. This trip is especially dear to me. There have never been cosmonauts in the Kirov region, so I was greeted very warmly, even elected honorary citizen cities. I have developed good relationship with residents of Kirov.

- What do you get satisfaction from?

From the fact that I am needed, that people need my work. This is a very difficult and responsible task, but I am glad, because I understand that I will make some contribution to the development of the tasks that are now facing us.

Georgy Timofeevich DOBROVOLSKY. Pilot-Cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously), Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Commander of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the Salyut-1 orbital space station. On board the station, he conducted a large complex of scientific research. During the war he was in occupied Odessa. As a fifteen-year-old teenager, he single-handedly decided to fight the invaders. He took out a weapon, but did not have time to use it, at the beginning of 1944 he was captured by the Gestapo. For possession of a revolver he was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor, escaped from prison on forged documents. In the service description of the military pilot it was written: "Flies with rapture."

Georgy Dobrovolsky: "The meaning of life is in life, guys, just in life!"

- George, what do you enjoy in life, what do you like?

G. T. Dobrovolsky: Feeling of free flight. It is simply impossible to convey - this feeling is so pleasant: to control, to own the body. Is the person afraid at the same time or not? Yes, he's afraid. But this is a fear of a special kind. This is not fear. This is when you have all your nerves (and this is not ostentatious, it is somewhere inside), all muscles are tense, and you are all aimed at transforming everything into a clear, correct movement. This is a special charm.

So I wanted to be a sailor. Applied for admission to the nautical school in 1944. Dreamed terribly of the sea. Then suddenly a friend told about the aviation school. And I liked it even before the war: the uniform is dark and so on. In general, I was terribly pleased with the emergence of pre-war special schools. But I can't say that I dreamed about aviation. Everything was obscured by the sea. But when my friend went to a special school, I followed him. And as soon as I got there, brothers, I just got hooked - and I couldn't do anything else, although the sea form seemed to me better. I wanted to become a fighter, the best fighter pilot ...

- When and how did you get into the cosmonaut corps?

In 1962, sometime in January, just during the events in Cuba. I was drafted into the army, and I thought they would send me there. I happily reported to the commander. I go into the lobby - there are already several people. One comes out, I ask him: “What is it? What questions are asked? " - "They said not to speak." I again: “What are they asking there? Where are they sending? " And he again: "I can't say." I go in - the chief of counterintelligence, the chief of the medical service is standing, and the chief of staff immediately asks the question: "Listen, Dobrovolsky, when will the mess in your regiment end?" I think: "Oh, my, I thought to go to war in Cuba, but here ...". Yes, we are fighting, I say, we are fighting. And the chief of staff: “Well, sly! It is good. " Then: "How is your health?" I say: “My health is good, I'm not complaining. And I am ready to carry out any of your orders. " He - quickly, quickly: "You will now find out what - and you will refuse." I say: "No, I will not refuse." He: "Do you want to fly into space?"

Brothers, I could have expected anything: well, they would send them somewhere to fight, to educators somewhere, maybe to Diplomatic Academy… Oh my goodness! I did not expect this at all. I was 35 years old. Yura has already flown, Herman has flown, everything is on the rise here! .. The boss says: “Well, what are you? What's the matter? Because? Agree, disagree? Do you need to think? " I couldn't even say anything in response, I was so happy.

Before I thought that the air line would go through my life. And then suddenly something new, unknown came.

We passed the commission in the district. Of all the candidates, five were selected and sent to Moscow. And here, brothers, it began! Some enemas, tests, urine, feces before that, feces after that, instead, and so on ... The selection went in three rounds. I had no idea that there would be such difficulties, but when I passed the first round, I was already "infected" and got sick with it so much that I realized that I would endure everything at all costs.

- Tell us about the first day you appeared in the squadron.

G. T. Dobrovolsky: It was January 25, 1963. Then the first credentials committee was held in the old club. We saw Gagarin for the first time. I never thought that this is such a wonderful guy - just horror! He says: “Well, guys, that's it. You have passed the most important thing. Now don't worry, we will support you. " At this credentials committee, by the way, I was asked the question: "How do you propagandize the decision of the 22nd Congress of the CPSU Central Committee in the personal relations of the political department?" I answered in elegant tones ... And then the second question, no less weighty: "How do you assess your work as the head of the political department?" It's easier to hang yourself ...

- Did you try on Gagarin's feelings before the start?

No, guys, I haven't tried it on, God knows. It is clear that when you have an exam in the institute in the morning, you are both worried and you do not sleep well. I don't know what will happen to me before the start. But I have a good idea of ​​the state before a parachute jump, before flying. You are worried. The heart is beating fast. Muscles are tense. Thought only one thing. Outwardly, maybe this is not visible: hands are not shaking, there is no confusion. But the tension of muscles, nerves, mind - everything is aimed at doing their job as best as possible. This is not fear in the usual sense, it is fear of responsibility. And now I feel a very big, ultimate responsibility - I should cut the feeling of this responsibility at least a little.

- When did you find out that your crew was flying? Was that yesterday? Kirill Pletner, editor-in-chief of the VKS magazine and
Anna Klimenko, executive secretary, candidate of historical sciences

Dobrovolsky Georgy Timofeevich - commander of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the world's first orbital station Salyut, pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR, lieutenant colonel.

Born June 1, 1928 in the city of Odessa (Ukraine) in a working class family. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1954. When George was 2 years old, his father left the family. Raised by his mother. Studied at school. When the Great began Patriotic War he was 13 years old. Georgy dug trenches, put out lighters, helped defend his hometown. When Odessa fell in the fall of 1941, he decided to fight the invaders in the ranks of the partisans. He got hold of a pistol, but did not have time to use it. During the raid, he was captured, beaten and thrown into prison for carrying weapons. The Romanian court-martial sentenced him to 25 years of hard labor. On March 19, 1944, shortly before the liberation of the city (Odessa was liberated on April 10), according to forged documents prepared by the underground, he managed to escape.

After the war he entered the Odessa Air Force Special School. V Soviet army since 1946. Graduated from the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots in 1950. He served in fighter aircraft, rose from an ordinary pilot to deputy squadron commander for political affairs.

In January 1963 he was enlisted in the cosmonaut corps. In 1964 he graduated from the Air Force Academy in absentia. When preparing for space flights, Dobrovolsky did not spare his efforts, he strove to delve into the specifics of the work of an astronaut pilot to the smallest detail. He worked intensively, with full dedication for all 8 years until the day when the State Commission approved him as the commander of the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the Salyut orbital manned scientific station.

On June 6, 1971, at 7.55 Moscow time, the carrier rocket with the Soyuz-11 spacecraft was launched into space. On June 7, at 10.45, the spacecraft docked with the Salyut orbital station, which had been in orbit since April 19. From that moment on, for the first time in the world, a manned scientific station began to operate in orbit. The flight lasted 23 days. During this time, the crew carried out an extensive program of testing the station's systems, biomedical research and astrophysical experiments. According to academician M.V. Keldysh, the experiments carried out "open up great prospects for meteorology, geology, geography, the study of the ocean, vegetation and resources of the Earth."

On June 30, 1971, when returning to Earth, the descent vehicle depressurized (a valve that bleed air opened prematurely). When the search group opened the hatch of the descent vehicle, they found the cosmonauts sitting motionless in their workplaces. All resuscitation measures were unsuccessful. The crew of the ship (Georgy Timofeevich Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Nikolaevich Volkov, Viktor Ivanovich Patsaev) died.

On June 30, 1971, G.T. Dobrovolsky was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, medals.

Buried on Red Square in the Kremlin Wall. Forever enlisted in the lists of the military unit. An asteroid in the constellation Leo, a research ship of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, streets in a number of cities, schools No. 10 in Odessa and No. 54 in Vladivostok are named after Dobrovolsky. Honorable Sir the city of Odessa. In Odessa, on the avenue named after him, a monument has been erected. In Mogilev, a memorial plaque was installed on the street named after him. The International Trampoline Jumping Tournament in memory of Dobrovolsky was held.

Georgy Dobrovolsky was born on June 1, 1928 in the city of Odessa, Ukraine. Member of the CPSU since 1954. Raised by his mother. When the Great Patriotic War began, he was 13 years old. Georgy dug trenches, put out lighters, helped defend his hometown. When Odessa fell in the fall of 1941, he decided to fight the invaders in the ranks of the partisans. The Romanian court-martial sentenced him to 25 years of hard labor. On March 19, 1944, shortly before the liberation of the city, he managed to escape according to forged documents prepared by underground workers.

After the war he entered the Odessa Air Force Special School. In the Soviet Army since 1946. Graduated from the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots in 1950. He served in fighter aviation, rose from an ordinary pilot to deputy squadron commander for political affairs.

In January 1963 he was enlisted in the cosmonaut corps. In 1964 he graduated from the Air Force Academy in absentia. When preparing for space flights, Dobrovolsky did not spare his strength, striving to delve into the specifics of the cosmonaut's work to the smallest detail. He worked intensively, with full dedication for all 8 years until the day when the State Commission approved him as the commander of the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the Salyut orbital manned scientific station.

In 1971, on June 6 at 7.55 Moscow time, the carrier rocket with the Soyuz11 spacecraft was launched into space. On June 7 at 10.45 am the spacecraft docked with the Salyut orbital station, which had been in orbit since April 19. From that moment on, for the first time in the world, a manned scientific station began to operate in orbit. The flight lasted 23 days. During this time, the crew carried out an extensive program of testing station systems, biomedical research and astrophysical experiments. According to Academician M.V. Keldysh, the experiments carried out "open up great prospects for meteorology, geology, geography, the study of the ocean, vegetation and resources of the Earth."

In 1971, on June 30, when returning to Earth, the descent vehicle depressurized. When the search group opened the hatch of the descent vehicle, they found the cosmonauts sitting motionless in their workplaces. All resuscitation measures were unsuccessful. The ship's crew was killed.

Buried on Red Square in the Kremlin Wall.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 30, 1971, Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Timofeevich Dobrovolsky was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for courage and heroism shown in space flight. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, medals.

Forever enlisted in the lists of the military unit. An asteroid in the constellation Leo, a research ship of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, streets in a number of cities, schools in Odessa and Vladivostok are named after Dobrovolsky. Honorary Citizen of the Hero City of Odessa. In Odessa, on the avenue named after him, a monument has been erected.

Born June 1, 1928 in Odessa in a working class family. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1954. When George was 2 years old, his father left the family. Raised by his mother. In 1941 he graduated from 6 classes in secondary school №99 in the city of Odessa.

In 1941, war broke out, and soon the city was besieged by fascist and Romanian troops. A 13-year-old teenager helped dig trenches, looked after the wounded in the hospital, tried to join some partisan detachment to beat the invaders. All attempts have led nowhere: he is still small.

However, George did not want to sit around either. Together with the same teenage friends, Dobrovolsky dreamed of revenge. Imitating the adults, they decided to assemble their own partisan detachment, and the first task for everyone was to find weapons. The guys found several pistols, machine guns, grenades. The pistols were kept, and the machine guns were buried in the ground in order to use the weapon at the first opportunity.

They were tracked down. The gendarme police came to the Dobrovolskys with a search very unexpectedly. Zhora had no way to hide the pistol. The weapon was found, the 15-year-old was taken to prison. There was no condescension to age: the juvenile prisoner was sentenced by a military court on February 22, 1944 to 25 years of hard labor. Largely due to the fact that during the torture he did not betray any of his comrades.

They did not forget him, they made an escape. It happened on March 19. And less than a month later, on April 10, the first battalions entered Odessa. Soviet troops bringing with them liberation from the occupation.

After the liberation of Odessa in 1944, Georgy passed the exams for grades 7 and 8 and entered school # 58 in grade 9, and then transferred to the Air Force special school. In 1946 he graduated from the 10 classes of the special school of the Air Force of the city of Odessa.

In the Soviet Army, Georgy Timofevich since 1946. Graduated from the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilot Pilots (VAUL) in 1950 with a degree in fighter pilot.

From November 9, 1950 he served as a pilot, and from November 11, 1952 - senior pilot of the 965th fighter aviation regiment(IAP) of the 123rd Fighter Aviation Division (IAD) Air Defense of the 32nd VIA Donbass Air Defense District (October 14, 1952, the division was redeployed to the territory of East Germany and became part of the 71st Fighter Aviation Corps (IAK) of the 24th VA) ...

In 1952 he graduated from the evening University of Marxism-Leninism.

From 19 January 1955 he served as deputy squadron commander for political affairs, from 18 November 1955 he served as flight commander. On October 1, 1956, the 123rd IAD became part of the 30th Air Force of the Baltic Military District and was redeployed to the city of Valga, Estonian SSR. On March 6, 1959, the 965th IAP became part of the 263rd IAD of the 30th VA.

On November 17, 1959, the 965th IAP was renamed the 965th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers of the 2nd Line (APIB).

From May 7, 1960 he served as flight commander, from November 25, 1960 - navigator, deputy squadron commander.

On July 7, 1961, he graduated from the correspondence faculty of the Air Force Academy (VVA) with a degree in Air Force Command and Staff. From July 29, 1961 - deputy squadron commander for political affairs, from October 12, 1961 - head of the political department, deputy commander for political affairs of the 43rd separate APIB of the 30th VA of the Baltic Military District.

On March 6, 1962, he was recognized as one of the best commanders of the aviation link. In the same year, he undergoes a medical examination at the Central Military Research Aviation Hospital (TsVNIAH) and in May 1962 received the admission of the Central Medical Flight Commission (TsVLK).

On September 6, 1971, by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 192, he was forever enlisted in the personnel lists of military unit 23300 (1st Aviation Squadron).

On January 8, 1963, at a meeting of the credentials committee, he was recommended for admission to the cosmonaut corps. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force No. 14 dated January 10, 1963, he was enrolled in the CPC as a listener-cosmonaut.

In 1964 he graduated from the Air Force Academy in absentia. In preparation for space flights Dobrovolsky did not spare his efforts, tried to delve into the specifics of the cosmonaut's work to the smallest detail. He worked intensively, with full dedication for all 8 years until the day when the State Commission approved him as the commander of the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the Salyut orbital manned scientific station.

On January 23, 1965, he was appointed cosmonaut of the 2nd Detachment (military space programs). In February 1965, he studied the materiel of the MiG-21 aircraft at the 4th Center combat use in Lipetsk. He flew the MiG-21u, UTI MiG-15, Tu-104, Il-14 with an instructor.

From September 1966 to 1967 he underwent training under the program for flying around the moon (on the 7K-L1 spacecraft) as part of a group of cosmonauts.

In 1967 - 1968 he was trained in a group under the Almaz program as part of a group.

From August to December 1968 he was trained as the commander of the active Soyuz spacecraft as part of the third (reserve) crew under the Docking program.

In 1969 - 1970 he was trained under the Contact program as a Soyuz spacecraft crew commander, first in a group, and then together with Pyotr Kolodin (from January to March 1970), with Oleg Makarov (from March to May 1970 ) and with Vitaly Sevastyanov (November - December 1970).

From February 10, 1970 he was an instructor-cosmonaut of the 2nd department, deputy detachment commander for political affairs. On January 7, 1971, he was re-appointed as an astronaut of the 1st Division of the 1st Directorate.

From September 18, 1970 to February 1971, he underwent training under the DOS-1 Salyut flight program as the commander of the fourth (reserve) crew, together with Vitaly Sevastyanov and Anatoly Voronov.

From April 27 to May 27, 1971, he underwent training under the DOS-1 Salyut flight program as the commander of the second (backup) crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft, together with Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev.

The Soyuz-11 crew was not formed immediately. The fact is that at the end of the 60s, two cosmonauts flew into space. And then the Americans launched three into orbit at once. It was decided to create a Soviet crew of three people. And, ironically, just before the start, the main crew (Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov and Pyotr Kolodin) was replaced by a backup one (Dobrovolsky, Volkov, Patsaev). They say that three spacesuits did not fit on the ship, so they decided to fly in tracksuits. It is difficult to believe in this, if only because a little more than a month before the launch of Soyuz 11, on April 23, 1971, V. Shatalov, A. Eliseev and N. Rukavishnikov on the Soyuz-10 spacecraft have already been in space, but could not get to the orbital station.

At a meeting of the State Commission held on June 4, 1971, the prime crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft (Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov, Pyotr Kolodin) was suspended from flight due to a blackout in Valery Kubasov's lung discovered by doctors. The main crew of the Soyuz-11 was assigned to the crew of Dobrovolsky.

On June 6, 1971, at 7.55 Moscow time, the carrier rocket with the Soyuz-11 spacecraft was launched into space. Georgy Timofeevich acted as the commander of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft and the first main expedition (EO-1) on the DOS-1 Salyut, together with V. Volkov and V. Patsaev.

On June 7 at 10.45 am the spacecraft docked with the Salyut orbital station, which had been in orbit since April 19. From that moment on, for the first time in the world, a manned scientific station began to operate in orbit. During this time, the crew carried out an extensive program of testing station systems, biomedical research and astrophysical experiments. According to Academician M.V. Keldysh, the experiments carried out L open up great prospects for meteorology, geology, geography, for the study of the ocean, vegetation cover and resources of the Earth.

The flight duration was 23 days 18 hours 21 minutes 43 seconds. Call sign: "Yantar-1".

On June 30, at 01.35, the Soyuz's braking propulsion system was switched on. After working out the estimated time and losing speed, the ship began to de-orbit. After aerodynamic braking in the atmosphere, the parachute opened normally, the soft-landing engines worked, the descent vehicle smoothly landed in the steppe of Central Kazakhstan, west of the Munly mountain.

Doctor Anatoly Lebedev, who was then working at the Cosmonaut Training Center, recalled: “On our helicopter, we listened attentively to the radio communications of other search groups - who would see the ship first? Finally, the laconic: “I see! Accompanying! " - and an explosion of voices on the air. All voices, except ... Yes, for sure: one thing was surprising - none of the crews of the search service could contact the cosmonauts. We thought back then: the sling antenna is probably not working, and therefore it is impossible to establish contact with the Soyuz crew.

Finally, we, doctors, through the windows of the helicopter saw the white-orange dome of the ship's parachute, slightly silvery from the rising sun. We flew exactly to the landing site, and sat down after the ship, 50-100 meters away. How does it happen in such cases? You open the hatch of the descent vehicle, from there - the voices of the crew. And then - the crunch of scale, the clatter of metal, the noise of helicopters and ... silence from the ship.

I happened to be the first to extract from the ship its commander, Georgy Dobrovolsky. I knew that he was sitting in the middle chair. Frankly, I did not recognize him: the cosmonauts overgrown with beards during the flight (they had difficulties with shaving), and the unusual conditions of the descent also, apparently, influenced their appearance... Following Dobrovolsky, we took out Patsaev and Volkov.

In the first moments, nothing is clear; A quick inspection also did not allow us to immediately give a conclusion about the state of the crew: what happened during the seconds of radio silence, while the ball of the descent vehicle was piercing the atmosphere ?! All astronauts have almost normal body temperature.

And, to be honest, this is not so much a misunderstanding - the thought of a tragedy simply did not come close to anyone in those seconds. Our entire medical team deployed instantly. The presence of an experienced resuscitator from the Sklifosovsky Institute immediately determined the nature and means of assistance. Six doctors started artificial respiration and chest compressions. A minute, more ... ".

Georgy Timofeevich Dobrovolsky with other crew members were buried at the Kremlin wall on July 2, 1971. He was forever enlisted in the lists of a military unit.

A few days later, the results of the decryption of the "black box" records became known. Analysis of the records of the autonomous recorder of the on-board measurement system showed that from the moment of separation of the utility compartment - at an altitude of more than 150 kilometers - the pressure in the descent vehicle began to drop and after 30-40 seconds it became practically zero. 42 seconds after depressurization, the hearts of the astronauts stopped.

A word to cosmonaut Alexei Leonov: “The error was inherent in the design. The cabin was depressurized during the shooting of the orbital compartment. When installing ball valves, the installers, instead of using a force of 90 kg, tightened it with a force of 60-65 kg. During the shooting of the orbital compartment, a large overload occurred, which forced these valves to work, and they crumbled. A hole with a diameter of 20 mm was found. After 22 seconds, the astronauts lost consciousness. "

Marital status: father - Timofey Trofimovich Dobrovolsky, born in 1908, worked in the state security agencies, was the head of the counterintelligence department p / p 40260, since 1957 - retired; mother - Dobrovolskaya (Kamenchuk) Maria Alekseevna, born in 1907, worked as a cleaner in a store, then as a saleswoman in an artillery school; brother - Dobrovolsky Alexander Timofeevich, born in 1946, mechanic of the trawl fleet management in the city of Yalta; wife - Dobrovolskaya (Stebleva) Lyudmila Timofeevna, (1938 - 1986), worked as a teacher; daughter - Dobrovolskaya Marina Georgievna, born in 1960, professor at Moscow State University, teaches English; daughter - Natalya Georgievna Dobrovolskaya, born 1967

Titles and awards:

Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously, 06/30/1971);

Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR (posthumously, 06/30/1971);

Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union;

Medal for Military Merit (for 10 years of impeccable service);

7 anniversary medals.

Minor planet No. 1789 (June 6, 1977), a crater on the Moon, a research vessel of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR are named after Georgy Timofeevich.

Since 1972, the Dobrovolsky Cup in trampoline jumping has been played in the USSR (and then in Russia).

http://www.astronaut.ru, http://article.uz, http://persona.rin.ru