The story of Baikonur, which was not Baikonur at all.

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2 June 1955, the construction project of the “Research Test Site No. 5” (NIIP-5) was approved by the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense. This day is considered to be the birthday of the Baikonur complex, which includes the city and the cosmodrome.

How did this name come about? Spaceport so named by the nearest city? Or was the new city built by the name of the cosmodrome?

It turns out at the very beginning stories the cities and the cosmodrome, neither one nor the second, were called Baikonur ...

The story of Baikonur, which was not Baikonur at all.


From the memoirs of V.A. Skroban: “The place in which I served, the closed city of Leninsk, and the space center in its vicinity in the Kazakh desert of Tyura-Tam were called Baikonur unofficially, for reasons of secrecy. We knew that in fact, Baikonur is a remote village to the north, in which there is no cosmodrome. It was necessary for the enemies of the Motherland to think that rocket launches were made there in order to divert attention from the present spaceport. ”



Imagine! It didn’t fit in my head how this legendary name turned out to be a “dummy”! ”If you start looking for information on this topic, you will not find absolutely NEVER THAT! And that's why:

“12 February 1955, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, by a joint resolution approved the establishment of a research test site. This test site was intended for testing rocket technology capable of delivering nuclear charges over vast distances (in particular to the US) and for exploring outer space, of which humanity had dreamed for a long time. The location of the spaceport was not chosen by chance. Remoteness from major highways and railway tracks, remoteness from the border. In terms of climate, this region is favorable for rocket launches - more than 300 sunny days a year, little rainfall, low humidity, short winter. The space for the cosmodrome was chosen from three options - North Caucasus, Far Eastern and Kazakhstan. Placing the cosmodrome to the south was undesirable because of the location of the tracks and the main fields of falling waste stages in China or densely populated areas of Central Asia. The territory of the cosmodrome and related services turned out to be in the bend of Syrdarya, in the middle between two regional centers of the Kyzyl-Orda region - Kazalinsky and Dzhusaly, near the Tyur-Tam junction. Naturally, all the U-2, flying over Kazakhstan, including the Powers aircraft, carefully photographed the giant construction of a real object.

To ensure the secrecy of the facility, the construction of an imaginary spaceport was started. On the northern spurs of the Alatau ridge in Kazakhstan there is the village of Boykonyr or, in Russian, Baikonur. In the early 50s, with great difficulties, timber was brought there and a mock-up of launch vehicles for the launch site was erected from them. As it was during the war, when to distract bomber aviation the enemy built false airfields with plywood dummies of aircraft. Neither roads nor sources of water and electricity were there. That is, there was nothing to hide. The American reconnaissance aircraft of Baikonur did not care. Nevertheless, the "cosmodrome" on Baikonur was guarded until the beginning of the 70s. All messages in the Soviet press about satellite launches indicated the launch site for Baikonur. Gradually, this name began to be associated with a real cosmodrome. Although, “so that no one would guess”, this real spaceport and the area of ​​the formation of the landfill in the first half of 1955 had the code name “Taiga”.

Construction work at the site was begun in the second half of the winter of 1955, by military builders under the direction of G. M. Shubnikov. At first, military builders lived in tents, in the spring the first dugouts appeared on the banks of the Syr Darya, and on May 5 the first capital (wooden) building of a residential town was laid.

The official date of birth of the city and the test site is 2 June 1955, when a directive of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR approved the organizational structure of the 5-nd Research Test Site and created a military unit 11284 - test site headquarters. Landfill and village received the unofficial name of "Dawn". In 1955, by a joint decision of the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, a conditional postal address was set for the military units of the test site - “Moscow-400, military unit No. ...”.



During the second half of 1955, the construction of wooden administrative and residential buildings (mainly of barracks type) continued on Naberezhnaya and Pionerskaya streets, later the area “Wooden Town” was assigned to this area (southern part of the city). The total number of civilian and military personnel working at the test site, by the end of 1955, exceeded 2500 people.

In the summer of 1956, the construction of a brick barracks town in the quarter, called the Tenth Playground (now Gagarin Street), began. Later this term in colloquial speech was often called the entire village “Zarya” (later - Leninsky and Leninsk). At the end of the 1956 of the year, a new mailing address was set up for the military personnel of the landfill - Kzyl-Orda-50 (later it was changed to Tashkent-90, which operated until the end of the 1960). By the beginning of 1957, the number of personnel in the landfill exceeded 4000 people.

The initial project envisaged that the settlement would be located on both banks of the river, but a powerful spring flood would have made this plan abandon in a few years, especially since the construction of a bridge across the river would require considerable financial and time costs. The construction of the village unfolded on the right bank of the river, to protect against flood waters in the southern part of the village was built a special two-meter dam.

29 January 1958, Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR, the village on the site 10, which did not have a name, and informally called "Dawn", was given the name Leninsky. According to the project, the settlement was designed for permanent residence of about 5 thousand people. However, due to the intensive expansion of the experimental tests carried out at the site, at the end of 1959, 8000 people lived in the village of Leninsky, and by the end of 1960, more than 10000 people lived.

At the end of 1950-X - the beginning of 1960-i, a massive settlement of the village was carried out with three-story brick houses (of "Stalin" type with high ceilings) within the borders of Ostasheva-Kommunalnaya-Nosova-Lenina, Nosova-Kommunalnaya-Shubnikova-Rechnaya streets; built four-storey buildings - the headquarters of the landfill and a department store - on Lenin Square.

The residential city received the official name “Leninsk” and already much later, at the end of the 90-s, it was given its current name. In this connection, the second Baikonur appeared on the map of Kazakhstan. And the 5 th NIIP received the open name “Baikonur Cosmodrome” (for publications in the press, etc. goals) after the first manned space flight - Yu. A. Gagarin, held on 12 on April 1961. On this day, the cosmodrome was awarded the Battle Flag.



Honored builder of Russia, foreman of the legendary “Gagarinsky start,” retired colonel Sergei Alekseenko shares his memories.


- Sergey Andreevich, of course, the secrecy of the construction of the cosmodrome was terrible. But you, the military builders, knew what they were building?


- Not. They only knew that the Ministry of Defense is creating a missile base to protect its borders, launching a nuclear strike against the United States in the event of war. In the legends of the General Staff cover, she had the name "Stadium". The first builders arrived at the Tyura-Tam station in January 1955. But only in September, work began on digging a pit for the first start. At first, there was a lack of equipment: some five scrapers, two bulldozers, the same number of excavators, five dump trucks. Everything. And this is in order to take out more than one million cubic meters of rock from a pit of 50 depth in a matter of months! All the same, that the Sea of ​​Azov spoon out.

And then from the depth of one and a half to two meters, it was not sand that went, but waste clay, which no ladle took. We tried to loosen jackhammers - it is useless. But different representatives from the instances, looking at the drawings, were surprised by the “idleness and laziness” of the then foreman. And so they brought him, that he, disappointed in his ability to “dig up some kind of pit,” came down to the hospital. I then worked on other sites. I remember, I still thought: God forbid, get to the pit. And how I jinxed it: since January 1956, I was appointed as a foreman for the first space launch. So Baikonur started from scratch and went through the whole construction. Before signing the act of putting the "Gagarinsky complex", and then the others into operation.

- With the Chief Designer met often?


- Of course. We communicated very closely. So much so that some of them even christened me almost as a “court” foreman of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev: according to his commands I carried out work in the current assembly and testing complex, at the start, etc.

- Have you ever experienced the queenly temper of the Queen?


- He grabbed my breasts in the very first meeting. By the way, his name was not called out because of the conspiracy, they simply said: “The Chief Designer will meet you”. And it was necessary to meet urgently. We conducted a series of small explosions and suddenly went out to the water horizon. As it turned out, the drawings of the design institute were prepared without hydrogeology data. I suggested stopping and starting the foundation slab at the reached depth. But it was necessary to "good" customer.

However, Sergey Pavlovich literally began to shake his fist in front of my nose: “No, you will dig for me the pit strictly according to the project or you will wash the gold very far from here!” I threw it in my hearts: “This depth was given to you. A meter more, a meter less - what's the difference? ”Korolev swore and calmly said:“ I cannot agree with that. The rocket jet must have a free path of at least half the height of the launching rocket. Otherwise, the rocket will not descend from the start or, having gone down, will fall nearby. Therefore, I ask: do everything according to the project! ”That's when I realized for the first time that we are still building. Then, of course, there were friction with Korolev, but they can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Mutual understanding was complete.



And how did you manage to fulfill Sergei Pavlovich’s request without flooding the foundation pit?


- Everyone counted and made two powerful explosions to squeeze out water and select the rock “dry” to the desired mark. What was drama? We were forbidden to blow up from above. But there was no other way out. Act at your own risk. I was present at the conversation of the head of the construction of the cosmodrome Georgy Shubnikov and the chief engineer of the Defense Ministry head Mikhail Grigorenko: they say, if anything happens, we will not put Alekseenko in jail, but we will remove one star from it, lower its rank.

The first shurfs were drilled at night, and on the day they were masked by a mound of earth. That checking did not suspect anything. The first blast was assigned to 5 in the morning. And five minutes before him, the brigadier of the demolition men comes up to me: “Maybe we will not tear, eh? Well, to hell with this pit - let it be worth it. ” I shook his finger at him and pointed to the clock. And then rushed 20 tons of explosives. The first to come to the edge of the excavation was the brigadier. How will shout: “Well done, foreman! No water. We wiped our nose to the academic supervisors! ”

- You built not only the Baikonur cosmodrome, but also later Plesetsk. Where was harder?


- It seems to me that the conditions for the construction of Baikonur were ideal in comparison with the conditions for Plesetsk. The climate in Kazakhstan is wonderful for living and building work. And in Plesetsk? Taiga, off-road and clouds of mosquitoes.

- And which of the meetings with Sergey Pavlovich do you especially remember?


- One year before his death. I then worked at the Ministry of Defense, and that day I came to the reception with papers to Mikhail Georgievich Grigorenko, who was already the head of Glavka. And suddenly Korolyov enters the waiting room. He shook his hand: "What are you doing here?" He told about the "lunik." “This is my best program,” he says cheerfully. And then I was tormented by the problems associated with the preparation of the launch complex for the H-1 rocket, which was designed to be finely buried, the so-called "threefold". “Did you allow to reduce the depths of the later Gagarin starts?” - I quickly ask a question. "Not". I ask about the start itself. “I have not yet seen his project,” he replies. “Sergey Pavlovich, do you know that a rocket will not go from a three-lobe launch? We checked on the mock, ”I hurry. “What should be done?” - “To design a new start like“ Gagarinsky ”or to make a launch cup, as in the mine variants”. “Well,” Korolyov sums up. - I'll call Barmin. I'll figure it out. Call you on the phone. ”

Then in the office with Grigorenko drank dry Georgian wine. Sergei Pavlovich proclaimed a toast: “Well, scho, guys, pobalakat. I spoil your happiness! ”First he drank and smashed his glass on the floor. How to say goodbye to us.

- Sergey Andreevich, why do you think the lunar rocket H-1 was haunted by failures: did the accidents follow one after the other?


- I am convinced that the “lunik” died due to the poor gas dynamics of the launch facility. The three-petal launch of the lunar program H-1, which designers insisted on, “economically” reduced the volume of earthworks. But behind this “cost-effectiveness”, the absence of the main condition for a normal launch was disguised - there was no place for the free run of the rocket’s gas jet. And she burned herself at the start.

- Is it true that Korolev considered Baikonur a happy place on earth?


- Yes, along with Odessa, Moscow and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Why? When digging the pit under the “Gagarinsky” start at the depth of 35 meters, an ancient bonfire was discovered. Several logs were already covered with silver efflorescences. We urgently called in archaeologists from the nearest town. But they never arrived. Then I put the rest of the fire in a box, and sent one log to the capital. From there, three months later, the answer came: a find of 10-30 thousands of years. Learning about this, Sergey Pavlovich summarized: “The most important thing is that we are building a structure on the shores of the life of an ancient civilization, which means that this place will be happy for us too.” I put a small piece of coal in a matchbox and took it with me.

- Tell me, did the rocket men not feel at the cosmodrome a “white” bone in comparison with the builders?


- Never! We lived on an equal footing: hard - so everything. Feel better - so too everyone. The chief designer said: “Ground launch facilities are more than a rocket. A rocket without them is metal filled with equipment. And therefore we treat builders the same way we treat missilemen, for together they do one big thing. ”

- Have there been anecdotal cases in the history of the cosmodrome?


- How many. Let's say this. At 1957, the Queen's assistant ordered an alcohol tank — 12 tons for flushing systems and so on. And spent only 7 tons. What to do? After all, they knew that the Gossnab of the USSR for the next year would not allocate more "expense". An assistant called a bulldozer, dug a hole near the tank, and leaked the remaining alcohol into it. Filled with sand. But someone sniffed, raked the sand ... Scooped straight kettles. So on the landfill, where the dry law reigned, there was a binge. True, the order put things quickly - the remnants of alcohol simply burned out. And Sergey Pavlovich then sighed for a long time: “This is a shame, such good and into the ground!”



But the director of the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences Baturin Y.M. writes:

Life in the city, of course, was very tempting for the residents of the surrounding villages, but it was still very modest. Until the beginning of the 1990s, there was not a single market there. Products could be bought only in stores, and the main ones were by coupons. True, in the summer the peasants brought and sold vegetables and fruits from their trays. The bazaar appeared spontaneously in 1991, when there was absolutely nothing left in the stores. This is the place of the first half-legal trade then, called the "Field of Miracles". 26 September 1991, the city market was legalized. There were no public toilets in the city until the beginning of the 21st century. On the streets lay mountains of garbage. There were few machines, they served mainly spaceport facilities, old buses, commonly referred to as “cattle trucks”, walked (quite rarely) along only four routes. In the summer, part of the buses were removed from the route and sent to residents for summer cottages near the Krayniy airfield.

By the way, it was difficult to get to the airfield. But it is even more difficult to buy a ticket to Moscow: there were only two flights a week, Baikonur residents signed up for a month in a queue and were constantly on duty at the only ticket office. Astronauts and technical specialists flew to Baikonur and back with special, not scheduled flights. Military builders have always had a hard time, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, their living conditions became completely intolerable: the soldiers did not have clean linen, they did not spend long periods in the bath, even in cold weather they washed the streets with ice water; feed became altogether bad.

And in February, 1992, there was a riot of military builders. Thanks to the exhortations of the local aksakals, the tragedies were avoided, and the soldiers were sent “on leave”, from which almost no one returned, but they left everyone alone and did not touch. A year later, the rocket soldiers, who were preparing the Proton carrier rocket, rebelled - due to the incompleteness of the unit, work for each person was three times more than the required amount. There was a rebellion by military builders in the 2003 year, and the reason was unexpected. Messages about the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome, to which Russia allegedly intends to transfer all its launches, including manned ones, have caused rumors that the Baikonur cosmodrome will soon be closed and the soldiers sent to serve in Siberia. As a result of the departure of the military from the cosmodrome, apartments in the city were vacated, and many of them were furnished and with things, since there were very few containers and those leaving left everything to go. Abandoned apartments immediately began to be captured by the inhabitants of the nearby villages, who sometimes settled in them along with goats and other living creatures. From the empty apartments began to steal plumbing and gas stoves.

As they say, for this reason, a gas leak and an explosion that took 16 lives occurred in one of the houses. The hostel, in which they settled technical specialists who came on long trips on space programs, was called “Buchenwald” for their unsightly living conditions. In the transition of administrative functions in the city from the military to the civil began a mess and rampant crime. At first, there was not even a direct telephone connection between the Russian and Kazakh police.

Water was supplied on schedule, even in medical facilities. CHP began to take away from the military at the beginning of the heating season, as a result of which in winter the Baikonur people were left without any heat at all and lived in tourist tents (who had them) set up directly in the apartment. Baikonur seemed to be dying. Many experts have left him forever. The situation was saved by the 1994 agreement of the year, according to which Russia leased the spaceport from Kazakhstan for 20 years (later it was extended). A lot of money was allocated for the revival of Baikonur, but they also began to be used in the same way as everywhere else: when there was no money left in the city for the purchase of bread, a strange explanation followed that they allegedly left for the purchase of Belgian ice cream and then the Dutch cheeses and chocolates.

In fact, the money just scrolled in the banks.

Today, the situation has improved, and Baikonur is now a completely unusual and difficult city: its mayor is appointed by decree of two presidents at once - Kazakhstan and Russia. Both laws are in effect there - Kazakhstan and Russian (how? - a mystery, considering that in many critical moments they diverge). The law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan and Russia, two courts, two military registration and enlistment offices, two registry offices and two currencies run smoothly there.

And most importantly, both Russian citizens and citizens of Kazakhstan live there. No more problems with hot and cold water, electricity, gas, heating. There were new hotels, houses, hospitals, squares, schools that teach both in Russian and Kazakh languages, there are sports clubs, a sports and fitness complex has been built, by the way, with the 50-meter, Olympic pool. New buses went to the routes, private taxis appeared (taxis take money from each passenger, even if they are traveling together, for example, family). Baikonur has come to life and continues to provide space launches. It is impossible for Baikonourians to refuse in the sense of humor, without which it was hardly possible to survive difficult times.

When a monument was erected at the entrance to the city, at the bottom of which miners were shown coming out of the face, and the first satellite was crowned with a stele, they immediately gave it the name “From the cave into space”. Once, the city party committee covered an ugly wasteland with a huge shield with large letters “KPSS”, and later a small shop with large glass windows was set up in the street after the turn. The letters immediately began to decipher: "To hangover is a glass on the right." Another famous house with shops looked like this: on the left - men's shoes, on the right - women's shoes, and in the middle - a wine shop, which was immediately dubbed "Between the legs." Only the players who organized the “Fifth Deli Championship” tournament on the field behind the store did not use this name.

It was reflected in the folk toponymy of Baikonur and the whole history - Soviet and world - of the times of the space epoch. There are there the micro-districts “Malaya Zemlya” and “Japanese Islands”, in the beginning of 1970-ies another micro-district was called “Damansky”.





Here are some more legends of Baikonur:

Black shepherd

Baikonur - translated from Kazakh means “rich valley”. This is the name of the area in which the cosmodrome itself is located. The ancient nomads, who lived in those deserted places, had an interesting legend about the Black Shepherd, who made a huge sling out of hides, filled it with red-hot stones and camel fat and threw these stones at the enemies who were approaching his camp. While falling, hot stones and fat hit the enemies; those who survived fled in terror. In those places where stones fell for a long time nothing grew, and scorched marks remained on the ground. Nomads considered this valley "navel of the earth." According to experts, this legend is more than ten centuries. Now, completely different “burning stones” - satellites and rockets - fly out of the giant “sling” of the cosmodrome. So the ancient legend is reflected in the mirror of modernity.


A bourgeois free-thinker who was exiled to Baikonur.


Was he? Of course not. This newspaper bike appeared in the press in the seventies, and gave rise to a grave response from readers, who took it at face value. "Moscow provincial Gazette" allegedly for 1848, reported: "The philistine Nikifor Nikitin for seditious speeches about the flight to the Moon should be sent to the Kirghiz-Kaisach steppe, to the village of Baikonur." So one of the Dnepropetrovsk readers of Izvestia joked, who in 1974 took and sent a letter to the editor in which he attached a clipping from the newspaper Dnepr Evening. Later, when the hype in the press began, the reader admitted that he invented everything because he wanted to joke. There was no tradesman. There was no reference.

Baikonur is the official name of the famous cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.


There is also an opinion that the name is unofficial and somewhere barely audible voices that in fact Baikonur is an unknown village on the spurs of the Alatau. The very concept of Baikonur became so familiar and came into use that people usually don’t think about whether it’s true or not. Even in the dictionaries, the authors call the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Baikonur. In February, 1955 was decided to create a testing ground for rocket technology, which could both deliver nuclear warheads to the United States and be used to conquer space. The place was not chosen by chance - a good climate, remoteness from the roads and borders. In fact, the cosmodrome was located in the bend of Syrdarya, between the regional centers Kazalinsky and Dzhusaly. But to ensure secrecy, it was decided to build an imaginary cosmodrome, which was located on the northern ridges of Alatau, in Kazakhstan, near the village of Boykonyra, or, in Russian, Baikonur. There, hardly brought timber, built a model of starting devices, but there were no roads or power lines, it is not surprising that such an object did not attract the attention of American intelligence agencies. But in the Soviet media constantly reported on successful launches of missiles from Baikonur, which led to a strong perception of this name, as a spaceport. In fact, near the real launch site, which during the construction was codenamed "Taiga", stretched the city of Leninsk, with a population of about 70 thousand people.

Only proven people got to the service in Baikonur, with merits to the country.


It was also believed that it was only possible to get into a secret place for service, the other extreme was the view that random people from among the soldiers-conscripts served there. In fact, of course, a random person could not serve at Baikonur. Even in the military "unsafe" weed out, but the young professionals, and yes even the builders in the specialty could well get on the spaceport. So there was no need for special services to the country for service at Baikonur, but the candidates did pass the initial screening. Hardly the son of the deported Volga Germans or the Tatars could get to serve on a secret object.

At Baikonur there are only launch pads and missiles.


And the appearance of this myth blame the media. In the plots about rocket launches, launch pads flashed, faces of guests, astronauts, it is not surprising that there was a feeling that there were only sand and camels around. In fact, officers lived in Leninsk with their families, which means that a number of institutions were functioning that were necessary for the normal existence of people. There is a hairdresser and clinic. Of course, the officer’s wives had a hard time finding a job in such a closed city, but the authorities were blind to it. In the city there were both shops and a department store, which over time became just the same club for women. At the same time, the range of goods was rich; there was no shortage at Baikonur. The main attraction of the city was a chic building with the hotel "Cosmos" and a restaurant. It was there that all the guests and visiting cosmonauts stayed. The hotel even had branded cutlery featuring a rocket, which often even famous guests carried away as souvenirs. Despite the fact that several thousand people lived in the city, and that it was only a kilometer away from the railway, very few people guessed about its existence, the train schedule was designed in such a way that the trains passed by at night. And at this time, residents were obliged to turn off the light in the houses. Over time, the city grew, barracks were replaced by new five-story buildings. Today almost 70 of thousands of people live in the city, naturally the city has all the necessary infrastructure.

Living conditions were difficult, in many respects it was done so that people would not relax.


The opposite of this myth was the opinion that at Baikonur people received a high salary, good rations, and the mode of operation was sparing. There were also rumors that prisoners worked at such facilities, who generally did not have to pay. The builders of Baikonur themselves recall that the salary, even with allowances, was not bad - around 200 rubles, but not at all unique. The workers were given all their clothes for free, but the work schedule, in view of the heat, was like this - from 4 to 10 in the morning and from 16 to 20 in the evening. The workers had 2 days off, but in preparation for the launch, during emergency work, the schedule was noticeably distorted, sleep was given out by 3-4 hours per day. At first, people lived in barracks, after typical houses were built. The provision was good, the store had any products, and household appliances. Thus, there was practically nothing special about the living conditions; preferential opportunities were additions to difficult conditions.

Baikonur was isolated from the outside world.


Many believe that the residents of the cosmodrome did not know anything about what was happening in the country and the world; they were forbidden to call and read newspapers. This approach was typical for the Soviet era, it was believed that the complete isolation of people would contribute to the preservation of state secrets. In fact, the people who served in Baikonur did not lose touch with their relatives, they knew where they serve. Letters were also written to the home about the place of service, about work and army everyday life, about the weather and camels, it was even possible to make jokes about missiles and cosmonauts. Naturally, all this was within the limits of what was permitted, since a receipt of non-disclosure was given. Relatives were not allowed to visit, but the officer's wives lived in the city with their husbands. So there was no particular closeness, the city did not lose contact with the outside world.

Ordinary employees penetrated the secrets of the motherland.


It is believed that to be in the immediate vicinity of the secrets and not recognize them is simply impossible. At the cosmodrome there was a pass system based on the image of animals. Each sector has its own beast. On the pass, they stamped, for example, foxes, which made it possible to get the opportunity to work on the desired object, room. Over time, the entire pass was stamped with a whole zoo. Many people in general were not interested in what was going on behind closed doors, since the Soviet upbringing gave respect to state secrets. People just did their work without going beyond what was permitted.

Baikonur employees communicated freely with astronauts.


It seems quite natural that close proximity to rockets and astronauts entails a personal acquaintance with space explorers. In fact, the astronauts did not stand out from the crowd, walked in the same military uniform as other officers. By the way, the uniform was adapted for a hot climate - a wide-brimmed officer panama, a tunic with sleeves without cuffs and "outfit" trousers, therefore the inhabitant of Baikonur was different from other military men. The very inhabitants of the cosmodrome learned about exactly who was going into space, already from the release News. A fairly narrow circle of people communicated with the astronauts, so ordinary employees and officers usually did not intersect.

For residents of Baikonur, the most memorable events were missile launches.


When we interviewed those who served at the cosmodrome, it turned out that the most touching and memorable moments were not missile launches, but simple life joys - a letter from a loved one, or unexpected snow in the desert. Therefore, it is not necessary to assume that the heroic service should be exclusively heroic and events, memories.

Baikonurovtsy almost did not leave the duty station at the end of the contract, remaining to make a career there.


What kind of person does not want to go home? So it was with Baikonur - the majority still counted the days before they were sent home, and the bosses did not fix this.

Space tourism appeared only in our time.


Currently, tourists have begun to appear at the cosmodrome, who want to see the rocket launch with their own eyes, and those who got there for money have appeared among the astronauts. Today, Baikonur has over 10 hotels, including international ones. However, space tourism existed before, and it was for senior officials. According to eyewitnesses for high guests organized rockets launches, for officials it was something like fireworks. However, rockets with people were practically not used, for such purposes military installations were used. And the workers in those days were hiding so that they would not come across their eyes. Launched missiles for Brezhnev, French President Pompidou observed the launch of three missiles, and the president of Czechoslovakia - two. What is not space tourism?

There are no more secrets at Baikonur that the public does not know about.


To form such an opinion, public opinion again tried. We hear that many tourists visit Baikonur, that nobody needs a cosmodrome today, neither Russia nor Kazakhstan, that the state is seeking specialists to work there. All this suggests that there are no secrets and secrets left on this object. In fact, they never showed on the TV an assembly and test case, and even before the inner stuffing of the cosmodrome, teleoperators are not allowed. All the same, in the field of space technology, there is fierce competition, so all secrets will not be revealed. It is unlikely that the mystery of the deaths of tens and hundreds of conscripts who inhaled poisonous paint by their own carelessness will hardly be revealed to anyone. So, the spaceport will keep its secrets for a long time.
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  1. 0
    April 14 2015 14: 39
    The story of Baikonur, which was not Baikonur at all.

    It wasn't right, it was not at all the way that Ukrainian scientists proved
    1. 3axap
      +6
      April 14 2015 14: 52
      [quote = Novel 1977] [quote] The story of Baikonur, which was not Baikonur at all. [/ quote]
      It wasn't right, it was not at all the way that Ukrainian scientists proved
      Offset, I haven’t seen such a picture yet. All the time I was fit, who is the first cosmonaut by nationality. feel belay And here it is. lol That's how we fool and die. laughing
    2. +2
      April 14 2015 15: 24
      I would like to see the opinion of the author of the post on such a publication.
      And I don’t know what to put: + or - ...
    3. +4
      April 14 2015 16: 04
      here is another ukromarazm ...
      Leonid Kadenyuk - the first cosmonaut of Ukraine, as if there were not three dozen Ukrainians who flew into space on Soviet ships
      http://topwar.ru/uploads/images/2015/653/ssqf269.jpg
      1. +1
        April 14 2015 17: 03
        Already 2 first astronauts! That's cool! This is not even in the states.
      2. +3
        April 14 2015 17: 05
        Quote: reservist
        , as if there were not three dozen Ukrainians flying into space on Soviet ships


        From the Soviet cosmonauts born in the USSR and 10 people flew into space. This is in the chronological order of Popovich, Beregovoi, Shonin, Lyakhov, Kizim, Popov, Vasyutin, Volkov, Levchenko. Artsybarsky. And how many Ukrainians on the passport are unknown, then there was no separation ... All were SOVIET COSMONAUTS ..
    4. -2
      April 14 2015 17: 07
      Somehow my generation, born in the fifties, already knew that "Baikonur" is not the aul closest to the cosmodrome, but a huge space complex for thousands of square meters. km. And the fact that its location was secret to the Americans is, in general, sheer nonsense. And what could America then oppose the USSR in its potential power? Where they wanted, they built there. "Secret" means they were waiting for "envoys" to recruit and clean up their own. Is it really not clear from physics that the closer the launches are to the equator, the more efficient and less costly they are. So here it was possible to do with a compass. Now we have to pay decently for the rent of our own and "compensation" for heptyls in anticipation of a ban on launches from friendly Kazakhstan. Something it resembles a gas pipe through Ukraine to Europe. It would be a good idea to get a fuck left over from the USSR, but in fact, from its successor Russia.
      1. The comment was deleted.
      2. +1
        April 14 2015 17: 45
        Comrades from Kazakhstan! Do not be offended by reality. They try to bend us together and one at a time. Let us be in solidarity in at least one. The Union to restore the time has come.
        1. +2
          April 14 2015 19: 32
          Quote: siberalt
          Comrades from Kazakhstan! Do not be offended by reality. They try to bend us together and one at a time. Let us be in solidarity in at least one. The Union to restore the time has come.

          the reality today is. Baikonyr is located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is rented by the Russian Federation for which it pays rent (like the pipe was built by the USSR, but by no means the Russian Federation, or do you think that everything built by the USSR belongs to the Russian Federation?), And for periodic irrigation with heptyl, an environmental fine is paid (as other entities located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and performing this or that activity), a ban on launches until the reasons are clarified and their elimination is probably also the right decision. At the expense of the union, what do you mean? one state with the "tsar" in Moscow? Then I am not personally "khan" in Astana quite suits. Well, the construction of the "southern molasses", that is, the "eastern", is in full swing and I think in 20 years the topic of "Baikonyr" will be closed, the Russian Federation will no longer need it, and the Republic of Kazakhstan still, by and large, is a "suitcase without a handle", except interested parties and enthusiasts with spotlights.
    5. +1
      April 14 2015 17: 45
      It is not necessary, even jokingly, to stain the bright image of Yuri Gagarin. Too much blood on this "zhovtoblakitnoy" abomination.
  2. +3
    April 14 2015 14: 41
    It is a pity that Leninsk was renamed.
    1. +4
      April 14 2015 15: 30
      Quote: mishastich
      It is a pity that Leninsk was renamed.

      there was a beautiful city. all in green.
      1. +1
        April 14 2015 17: 42
        The fight against the Soviet symbols hasn’t yet been affected by Belarus. Till!
  3. +2
    April 14 2015 14: 45
    Uncle Vasya launched rockets from the village of Baikonur. He hit the rocket with a rocket, shaking the air. And all US intelligence chased his slingshot ... Then invent it yourself
  4. +10
    April 14 2015 15: 08
    There are inaccuracies in the article. Where the city of Baikonur stands, there was a small village of Baykonyr, away from Tyura-Tam station, the village of Leninsky was never called, there was the town of Zvezdograd, the city of Leninsk, the city of Baikonur ..
    I served there from 1988 to 2011 from a platoon com to a unit commander. Only the best memories are left ...
    By the way, Baikonur turns 2 on June 2015, 60 !!!
    1. +2
      April 14 2015 15: 57
      I also served there, in the very best years of 92-95 smile rf25653 tenth platform.
      1. 0
        April 14 2015 22: 25
        1975-78 - military unit 25921, 1978-81 - military unit 11284
      2. 0
        April 15 2015 10: 02
        Quote: Igor39
        I also served there, in the very best years of 92-95 smile rf25653 tenth platform.

        Guard Battalion?
        1. 0
          April 15 2015 18: 33
          Yes, it is there.
          1. 0
            April 15 2015 19: 13
            Neighbors.
            1995 - 1998 year - power battalion, military unit 11555
    2. +3
      April 14 2015 16: 07
      Officers were put on guard at our place, engineers on duty from non-combatant units, engineers, electronic engineers, one major, I don’t remember which site, I told the bike, in the nineties there was a full ATAS, well, in short, the launch of a cargo ship to the WORLD, well, everything’s there in short, brought to the MIK, assembled, launched, had to dock automatically, the docking did not work, try again, no way !! Ept, the astronauts go out into space, help the dock, look at the docking station, and there the soldier’s pea jacket is stuck !! !! laughing laughing laughing
  5. +4
    April 14 2015 15: 22
    So one of the Dnepropetrovsk readers of Izvestia joked, who in 1974 took and sent a letter to the editorial office, in which he put a clipping from the newspaper Dnieper Evening.

    Damn, even here the nonsense of the marked marked. fool
  6. +1
    April 14 2015 15: 44
    There was a riot of military builders in the 2003 year, and the occasion was unexpected. Reports of the construction of the Vostochny spaceport, to which Russia allegedly intends to transfer all of its launches, including manned ones, sparked rumors that the Baikonur spaceport would soon be closed and the soldiers sent to serve in Siberia.

    Absolute nonsense!
    The years of the 1995 service are 2006.
    1. The comment was deleted.
    2. 0
      April 14 2015 17: 50
      Interestingly, where did the Siberians go to serve? laughing By the way, among them there are just the fewest deviators.
  7. +1
    April 14 2015 15: 46
    We solved the issue. Difficult, but decided. I hope they will also decide on "Vostochny", albeit with quirks.
  8. +3
    April 14 2015 15: 49
    in "Technology-youth", 1991, No. 4 there was an interesting article about how the "Gagarin start" was built
    http://topwar.ru/uploads/images/2015/650/oyws383.jpg
    For example, read here http://epizodsspace.airbase.ru/bibl/tm/1991/4-bayikonur.html
  9. +7
    April 14 2015 16: 19
    And this is what the first "Baikonur" looks like.
  10. +1
    April 14 2015 16: 21
    This is a hopper under the nozzle.
  11. +3
    April 14 2015 16: 34
    My uncle- "the most honest rules ......". I called this place - Balkhash .. Where I went for a long time. Where did you go ???? To Balkhash. And everything is clear, there ... I sat there for a long time. A very long time .. Cryogenmash is also not the last thing .. I only left my health there. This is bad.
    1. avt
      +1
      April 14 2015 17: 09
      Quote: Signaller
      My uncle- "the most honest rules ......". I called this place - Balkhash .. Where I went for a long time. Where did you go ???? To Balkhash

      He really went to Balkhash, but not to Baikonur. There was a point there too.
  12. +1
    April 14 2015 16: 46
    Without the difficulties and heroism of the builders, we could not do one major construction. Yes, and the climate there is far from resort, in the afternoon in July it can be 40 and in the morning ice on the water.
    1. +1
      April 14 2015 17: 13
      I haven’t heard about ice, I was there for only three years, but once I remember walking home at night, there was a thermometer at the Cosmos Hotel, it showed +37 smile
    2. 0
      April 14 2015 17: 18
      The climate is just awful. And in the description I would add more infections: dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid fever. In 1981 was there on a business trip
  13. +3
    April 14 2015 17: 26
    "- It seems to me that the conditions for the construction of Baikonur were ideal compared to those of Plesetsk. The Kazakhstani climate is wonderful for life and construction work. And in Plesetsk? Taiga, off-road and clouds of mosquitoes." A controversial statement, my grandfather, Vasily Alekseevich Harolov, from the very beginning worked there as a builder, lived for a year and a half in a dugout, then in a prefabricated panel barrack. In winter, snowstorms and frost under minus 40 and a lack of coal, in summer, heat under 50 and a shortage of drinking water, but people did not grumble, they knew that they were doing the right thing for the Motherland and people.
  14. +1
    April 14 2015 17: 42
    He served on 71 sites of 77-79 military unit 22159 TRB
    1. +1
      April 14 2015 17: 53
      Now it is the turn of the local pharaohs and all sites will become "Egyptian pyramids". Only the USSR could pull such a colossal complex.
  15. +2
    April 14 2015 18: 02
    Strongly doubt the veracity of the article. I served as a biennial officer in the 78-80th not too far away - in Priozersk, which was also called Sary-Shagan (also by the name of the village nearby). This is on the shore of Balkhash.
    When there were launches at the spaceport, we were forbidden for this time to fly for a couple of hours.
    Also a closed military camp, but there were no coupons there! And the supply compared with many other cities is not bad (not Moscow, but not Saratov).
    And the bazaar was, although the city was kind of closed, the elders from the south were sitting. I don’t know how this issue was decided by the special services, but they were allowed to. Dear bazaar, of course, but it was.
    Garbage is also cleaned, as in any normal city. Was there really such unsanitary conditions in Leninsk ?? There was also a branch of the Moscow Aviation Institute, students. Or not?
    The bus did not go too often, but regularly.
    The special flight "Vnukovo - Kambala - Alma-Ata" and back, Tu-154, went every other day. Although this is not for the military, but for "representatives of the industry", there were no particular problems with boarding passes (tickets were not sold).
    And from here, and the rest is not very trusted, alas.
    1. +1
      April 15 2015 01: 42
      In the 80s, garbage was 100% cleaned and 100% no coupons. And from Leninsk to the site went a motor vehicle. And on the passes, as I recall, there were stamps not only with animals, but also some kind of triangles, palm trees.
  16. +1
    April 14 2015 19: 15
    Quote: Ascetic
    From the Soviet cosmonauts born in the USSR and 10 people flew into space.

    You are right, about three dozen got excited ...
  17. 0
    April 14 2015 19: 44
    For residents of Baikonur, the most memorable events were missile launches.
    Yes figs there. After the third time, it was no longer pinned.
  18. 0
    April 14 2015 19: 45
    reservist EN
    here is another ukromarazm ...
    Leonid Kadenyuk - the first cosmonaut of Ukraine, as if there were not three dozen Ukrainians who flew into space on Soviet ships

    "poooooorrrrr!", "shame" dill!
    How did they allow the Ukrainians to fly in "enemy", Russian and Soviet spaceships? wassat
  19. 0
    April 14 2015 20: 01
    EvilCat UA
    For residents of Baikonur, the most memorable events were missile launches.

    Yes figs there. After the third time, it was no longer pinned.

    Well, do not tell me!
    6 times I was on business trips to the Baikonur TPP, of which 3 times during the period of rocket launch, so e-workers stations, hotels, with trepidation we were informed when and what time the start will be, and from where it will be better to see! Yes
  20. 0
    April 14 2015 21: 31
    I have not read such an interesting article on the site for a long time! Thank you so much)

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