Valentin Filatyev
Encyclopedia
Valentin Ignatyevich Filatyev (January 21, 1930 - September 15, 1990) was a Soviet cosmonaut who was dismissed from the Soviet space program
for disciplinary reasons.
Senior Lieutenant Filatyev, age 30, was selected as one of the original 20 cosmonauts on March 7, 1960 along with Yuri Gagarin
.
On March 27, 1963 Filatyev, Nelyubov
, and Anikeyev
were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct by the militia at Chkalovskiy station. According to reports, the officers of the security patrol that arrested them were willing to ignore the whole incident if the cosmonauts apologized; Filatyev and Anikeyev agreed but Nelyubov refused, and the matter was reported to the authorities. Because there had been previous incidents, all three were dismissed from the cosmonaut corps on April 17, 1963, though officially not until May 4, 1963. Filatyev never completed a space mission. Following his dismissal, he eventually became a teacher.
To protect the image of the space program, efforts were made to cover up the reason for Filatyev's dismissal. His image was airbrushed out
of cosmonaut photos. This airbrushing led to speculation about "lost cosmonauts" even though the actual reasons were often mundane.
Soviet space program
The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991...
for disciplinary reasons.
Senior Lieutenant Filatyev, age 30, was selected as one of the original 20 cosmonauts on March 7, 1960 along with Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
.
On March 27, 1963 Filatyev, Nelyubov
Grigori Nelyubov
Grigori Grigoyevich Nelyubov was a Soviet cosmonaut who was likely to have been the third or fourth person in space before his dismissal from the Soviet space program....
, and Anikeyev
Ivan Anikeyev
Ivan Nikolayevich Anikeyev was a Soviet cosmonaut who was dismissed from the Soviet space program for disciplinary reasons....
were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct by the militia at Chkalovskiy station. According to reports, the officers of the security patrol that arrested them were willing to ignore the whole incident if the cosmonauts apologized; Filatyev and Anikeyev agreed but Nelyubov refused, and the matter was reported to the authorities. Because there had been previous incidents, all three were dismissed from the cosmonaut corps on April 17, 1963, though officially not until May 4, 1963. Filatyev never completed a space mission. Following his dismissal, he eventually became a teacher.
To protect the image of the space program, efforts were made to cover up the reason for Filatyev's dismissal. His image was airbrushed out
Censorship of images in the Soviet Union
After Joseph Stalin rose to power in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and became Soviet leader, he initiated a number of purges that eliminated perceived enemies. At first, a purge meant expulsion from the Communist Party, but after the Great Purge in the 1930s members were arrested,...
of cosmonaut photos. This airbrushing led to speculation about "lost cosmonauts" even though the actual reasons were often mundane.