Vasily Lazarev
Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev (23 February 1928 – 31 December 1990) was a Soviet cosmonaut and medical doctor. He was born in Poroshino, Altai Krai, in the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
Lazarev flew on Soyuz 12 and was later part of the abortive Soyuz 18a mission on 5 April 1975. The abort caused injuries from the high acceleration during launch and landing. He had to personally appeal to Leonid Brezhnev to receive his spaceflight bonus pay. He held a medical degree and held the rank of colonel in the Soviet Air Force. He remained in the space program until failing a physical in 1981 and never fully recovered from the 18a injuries.
He died in Moscow on 31 December 1990 at age 62. His awards included Hero of the Soviet Union, Pilot-Ccosmonaut of the USSR, and the Order of Lenin. He spent 1 day 23 hours 36 minutes in space and was associated with the Voskhod Group (Medical Group 1). His missions were Soyuz 12 and Soyuz 18a.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:34 (CET).