Personal life of the first female cosmonaut
Valentina Tereshkova was married twice. The first husband of this heroic woman was her colleague, cosmonaut Nikolaev Andriyan - the third most important member of the USSR space brigade, a participant in a military experiment, the one who was the first to work in orbit without a spacesuit.
The wedding of Andriyan Nikolaev and Valentina Tereshkova took place in early November 1963. Ceremonial events dedicated to the wedding took place in government apartments on the Lenin Hills. The Secretary General himself, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, attended the wedding of cosmonauts Tereshkova and Nikolaev.
The marriage lasted 19 years. The couple had a daughter, Elena, and until she reached adulthood, Valentina Vladimirovna steadfastly endured all the antics of her despot husband. Only a few years after the divorce, Tereshkova decided to talk about what kind of husband the famous cosmonaut, Hero of the USSR Nikolaev Andriyan was.
Valentina Vladimirovna’s second husband was Yuliy Shaposhnikov, Major General of the Medical Service, head of the Central Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology. There was no wedding as such. Moreover, the couple tried their best to protect their personal space from the press and public. In 1999, Yuli Shaposhnikov passed away.
Did Khrushchev marry the cosmonauts?
Whether she wanted it or not, after the flight Valentina became a completely different person. Circumstances required it. Soon after the flight I arrived in Yaroslavl in my car. A rally was organized at the plant. And all the people waited at the gate for the famous woman to go back. And Tereshkova was escorted to the workshop and taken out the back door to the pier to the boat...
Then there was a meeting with fellow countrymen at the stadium. And again, people were waiting for the 26-year-old heroine, getting ready, dressing up. But they came and saw nothing.
“Later we met with her,” Romanov shared. “But she could no longer be herself.” Maintained a different image. All the time with her retinue, who did not let her go for a minute. Secretaries of regional committees and city committees wanted to be nearby. She seemed to ask, as before, “How are you?” But... in a different tone. The speech was dominated by high phrases. And we only learned about her life from newspapers.
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First.
The big story of Valentina Tereshkova The first was she, a simple Yaroslavl weaver. And other women from the cosmonaut corps, naturally, did not like this. Galina Agrafonova, who met with some of them, recalled that both Irina Solovyova and Valentina Ponomareva were, to put it mildly, unhappy...
“Tatyana Morozycheva should have been in Valentina’s place,” Maya Nyushina confessed. - World champion, medals - up to the floor. They were best friends, they trained together, but Tatyana had much more jumps: 3.5 thousand...
However, Morozycheva just got married, became pregnant, and was expelled from the detachment. There were rumors that she then became an alcoholic and sold all her medals.
The press wrote a lot about Tereshkova and her understudies. Everything secret someday becomes clear. However, no one, except close people, knows for certain the history of Valentina Vladimirovna’s first marriage and divorce.
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"Star" women.
Story three. Elena Kondakova - “Running into Orbit” Much has been said about the fact that Khrushchev married the two cosmonauts, however, no matter who we talked to, everyone convinced us that Tereshkova could not have married by force. The third female cosmonaut, Elena Kondakova, summarized: “The members of the first squad were such privileged people that Nikita Sergeevich himself listened to them.
And if Valentina Vladimirovna had said “no,” no CPSU Central Committee could have forced her.” The Yaroslavl residents who knew Tereshkova before the flight recalled: she seemed to have some kind of fiancé before Nikolaev... But who was he, where?.. One newspaper named the name of Robert Silin, with whom Valentina studied at the flying club and whom she was supposed to marry. However, no one at home admitted that they knew this man.
“Close relationships were rare then,” Romanov said. - Although, of course, Tereshkova was looked after. He was friends with Valentin Aristov. They went to the cinema, to the theater, walked in the evenings, probably kissed. And they didn’t hide their relationship.
“Nikolaev also had a fiancée in Chuvashia, and his mother wanted him to marry her,” Nyushina revealed the secret. - So what now? He also had a girlfriend in Smolensk, where he served. They even told me there that Tereshkova stole her fiancé.
In a word, with regard to Tereshkova’s personal life in the last half century, there are more questions than answers.
Marriage of pilot-cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Andriyan Nikolaev. 1963 Photo: RIA Novosti/Valery Shustov
“In the eighties they wrote that Valentina was lying on a dusty sofa and sipping Armenian cognac,” Agrafonova recalled. “Her assistant complained: that’s why we are afraid to say something again.” When she came here, we were instructed: for God’s sake, don’t ask about her personal life.
They also gossiped about the daughter of Tereshkova and Nikolaev. They said that the girl was born premature and deaf. Fortunately, everything was fine, except that Lena suffered from strabismus as a child. They put glasses on her, covering her good eye, so that the other one would be corrected, and the problem would be solved. She graduated from high school and medical school with honors.
By the way, Andrian Nikolaev, who refused to talk about his ex-wife, admitted that he had no doubts about his daughter’s health. He was so confident in himself. Even at over 70, he was still a vigorous, strong man. But... It seemed that she and Tereshkova had entered into a parity agreement on non-disclosure of the facts of their family life. And, if this is so, you should respect a man who has not stooped to “bed memories.” Although, without a doubt, he would make decent money from his memoirs.
“I talked a lot with Nikolaev,” said Agrafonova. - This is a very interesting, rich person inside. It was easy with him. Although Valentina Vladimirovna complained that Andriyan’s relatives were tormented: “Why are all our people staying at the hotel, and some of him are leaving, others are coming. He is sitting in the corridor, writing something on his knee. And my relatives are sleeping in the office.” In Zvezdny they had a four-room apartment, but it was small. The living room has bookcases on both sides, a table and a shelf with gifts, a study for two, and two small bedrooms. The daughter slept with her grandmother.
Valentina Nikolaeva-Tereshkova's mother Elena Fedorovna with her granddaughter Elena. 1964 Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Mokletsov
If people disagree, then there is a reason for it. This is what women who knew Tereshkova said. A few years later, during the operation, Valentina Vladimirovna met the head of CITO, Yuliy Shaposhnikov. They said that he abandoned his previous family because of her. Despite the fact that he was “modest and a hard worker,” as they said about him. And Valentina Vladimirovna always spoke warmly about her second husband (now also deceased).
Valentina Tereshkova’s daughter Elena – photo
The first woman astronaut endured pregnancy very hard. Psychological tension also played a role - medical specialists of that time did not know how flights could affect the condition of both the mother and the unborn child. Fortunately, Tereshkova’s professional activities did not affect the pregnancy in any way - Elena Andriyanovna Nikolaeva-Tereshkova was born in early June 1964 as an absolutely healthy, strong girl.
Elena graduated from school with excellent grades and chose medicine as her field of study. After graduating from university, the girl came to work at CITO, which was headed at that time by her stepfather Yuliy Shaposhnikov.
After her parents' divorce, Elena changed her last name - she became Tereshkova. In her interviews, she rarely touches on personal topics and does not like to remember her childhood. Journalists have repeatedly tried to figure out what the daughter of the astronauts is keeping silent about. Newspapers often write that her parents were very strict with Elena and could hit her in the face. In their opinion, she was deprived of her childhood. Tereshkova’s daughter herself never commented on these speculations.
Elena Andriyanovna, like her mother, was married twice. She has two children - Alexei Mayorov, born in a marriage with pilot Igor Mayorov, and a son Andrei - from her second husband, also a pilot, Andrei Rodionov.
What is the fate of Valentina Tereshkova’s daughter, Elena?
A legendary person - Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is known throughout the world as the first woman in history to go to conquer outer space. Therefore, it is not surprising that increased attention was constantly shown to her professional activities, fate and personal life. As a “first generation” cosmonaut, almost all doors were open to her, she became an idol and a role model, and was also considered a very enviable bride, because at the time Valentina Vladimirovna became a world celebrity, she was not yet bound by marriage.
Photo: biographe.ru Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova
The Hero of the Soviet Union married twice. In her first marriage to her colleague, cosmonaut Andriyan Grigorievich Nikolaev, she gave birth to her only heiress, daughter Elena. In this article we will tell you about the fate of the world's first child, both of whose parents were astronauts. We will also tell you about what Elena Andriyanovna Tereshkova looks like now and what she does.
Valentina Tereshkova: personal life
In the biography, and especially in matters relating to the private life of the first female cosmonaut in history, there have always been a lot of omissions and gaps. It is no secret that in Soviet times it was not customary to start any close relationships before marriage, much less talk about it. However, at the time when Valentina Vladimirovna made her legendary flight, she was already 26 years old. Despite the fact that she was not yet married, according to some sources, she had a fiancé in Yaroslavl, with whom they shared a common passion - parachuting.
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Most likely, the young people would have gotten married, but the ambitious Valentina, for the sake of her cherished dream, abandoned this relationship during the period of intense preparation for a special mission. She returned to Earth as a real star, and now she had no time for her former friends and fiancé, and her personal life seemed to be taken over by the country's top leadership.
Photo: stuki-druki.com Valentina Tereshkova and Yuri Gagarin
According to eyewitnesses, many tried to court Tereshkova, but Valya herself was very partial to her colleague, the world’s first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, with whom she spent a lot of time. They were inseparable on frequent trips around the country and abroad, attending business and social events together, as the first man and woman in history to travel into space. However, Yuri Alekseevich was happily married for a long time, and two heiresses were already growing up in his family, so there was no question of any romantic relationship with him.
It is worth noting that doctors showed great interest in the first female cosmonaut, who were eager to study how the flight into space affected her body. Scientists were interested not only in the state of her health, but also in her reproductive functions, and therefore everyone was looking forward to Valentina having heirs.
Valentina Tereshkova and her first husband Andriyan Nikolaev
The most suitable passion for the first female cosmonaut could be one of her male colleagues, but the problem was that almost all of them were already married. But the “third Soviet cosmonaut” - Andriyan Grigorievich Nikolaev was single, and he was clearly not indifferent to Valentina, but she herself did not even look in his direction. However, completely unexpectedly for everyone, they got married, and the entire world of Soviet science of those years, and Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev himself personally, were present at the celebration.
Photo: foto-history.livejournal.com Valentina Tereshkova and her first husband Andriyan Nikolaev
There were rumors that scientists wanted to see children from a couple as soon as possible, where both parents had been in space, and Khrushchev, who competed with the United States in absolutely everything, insisted on the wedding. In particular, the first family union between two cosmonauts was supposed to take place in the USSR, and this goal was successfully achieved.
The couple themselves refuted in every possible way any speculation and rumors that they were “married” on the orders of the country’s top leadership. On the contrary, according to Nikolaev, they planned to hold the celebration in the House of Officers of the capital's garrison, where they ordered tables for three hundred seats, but Nikita Sergeevich insisted on moving the wedding to the government Reception House, which could accommodate a third less guests. Therefore, he and his wife asked a hundred friends and relatives to wait in Star City, and as soon as Khrushchev and his wife left the wedding, the newlyweds went to the rest of the guests.
Photo: kulturologia.ru Valentina Tereshkova and Andriyan Nikolaev with daughter Lena
This marriage broke up as soon as the daughter reached adulthood, and if Nikolaev always spoke of his ex-wife with some warmth, then on her part only coolness and even disdain were felt. Many still believe that that marriage was nothing more than a scientific experiment, and if this is true, then as an experiment it turned out well, but it did not bring much happiness to either spouse.
Elena Tereshkova - “space child”
Almost immediately after the wedding, Valentina became pregnant, and the whole world literally froze in anticipation of the birth of the first “space child” in history, whose father and mother had recently been in low-Earth orbit. It is worth noting that for Tereshkova, unlike her male colleagues, the flight to the stars was very difficult. She felt unwell, suffered from migraines and constant nausea, could hardly eat anything, quickly tired and weakened. One could only guess how such overloads could affect her health and future descendants.
The luminaries of Russian medicine closely followed Valentina’s pregnancy, noting the slightest changes in her condition. She felt unwell, so serious concerns arose as to whether it would be possible to save the child at all. When a girl was born in 1964, on June 8, almost immediately all sorts of frightening speculation and gossip began to spread about her. The thing is that initially information about little Lena was classified because of medical confidentiality; the doctors themselves needed time to study the child, so even the baby’s parents did not dare to ask unnecessary questions.
Photo: globalsib.com Valentina Tereshkova and Andriyan Nikolaev with their daughter Lena
There were rumors among the people that the child of the astronauts was born with terrible mutations, blind and deaf. Human imagination knew no bounds, and the girl was attributed with extra fingers on all limbs, to extra limbs. In fact, the baby was born only a little earlier than expected, so she was weak, but physically quite healthy, without deformities or abnormalities.
For many years, Lena was constantly monitored by specialists from the Institute of Space Medicine. Since childhood, she had been accustomed to medical examinations and all kinds of tests, so she herself began to show a keen interest in this. The girl did well at school, and then entered medical school, deciding to become an orthopedic surgeon. After receiving her diploma, she began working at CITO.
Elena Tereshkova: personal life
Elena Andriyanovna’s first husband was a pilot whose name was Igor Mayorov. Only the girl’s mother did not approve of her choice and was categorically against their marriage. Valentina Vladimirovna was always very wary of her daughter’s suitors, believing that they were all just trying to become related to the heiress of the legendary cosmonauts. For this reason, the bride quarreled with her parent, ran away with her chosen one, and did not even invite her mother to her wedding. But Lena’s father, who by that time had long been divorced from Tereshkova, gave his daughter his parental blessing for this marriage.
Photo: stuki-druki.com Valentina Tereshkova with her daughter Elena
In October 1995, the couple had a son together, who was named Alexei. But even the birth of a grandson did not immediately soften Valentina Vladimirovna’s heart, so she was not introduced to little Lesha for a long time, and she herself did not show initiative in this matter. During that period, Elena became very close to her father, with whom, after her parents separated, she had no contact for a long time due to her mother’s prohibitions. But over time, the conflict with the parent was smoothed out, and the women began to communicate again.
Despite the birth of a son, relations between the spouses soon began to deteriorate, and the marriage literally began to crack at the seams. Therefore, when Elena fell in love with another man in 1999, she left Mayorov without regret. It is noteworthy that after the divorce she took not her maiden name, but her mother’s surname - Tereshkova. Allegedly, Valentina Vladimirovna herself forced her daughter to do this in order to annoy her ex-husband. But Elena denied these speculations, and said that the parent only asked her about it, and she did not dare to upset her.
Elena Andriyanovna’s second husband was also a pilot, whose name is Andrei Rodionov. They met at the medical school, where Tereshkova worked as a doctor, and the man repeatedly came to see her. At first, friendly communication began between them, which gradually developed into a romance. They could not and did not want to resist this feeling, so Tereshkova filed for divorce, and soon was legally married to her new chosen one. From Rodionov, in June 2004, she gave birth to a son, Andrei, named after his father.
Photo: bulvar.com.ua Elena Tereshkova with her family
The eldest heir of Elena Andriyanovna, after graduating from school and serving in the army, became a student at Moscow State University. The youngest son is still in school, and at the same time he is seriously studying music, mastering the violin. The teenager has not yet decided on his future occupation.
What is Elena Tereshkova doing now?
Many believe that Elena’s choice of future profession was influenced by her stepfather, the second husband of her parent, Yuliy Georgievich Shaposhnikov, who was a major general of medicine and the director of CITO. However, after working for many years as an orthopedic doctor, the woman decided to change her field of activity and went into business.
It would be wrong to call the heiress of the legendary Soviet cosmonauts a public figure. Elena Andriyanovna only occasionally appears in the company of her mother in front of journalists' cameras, but it cannot be said that the woman ever aspired to fame or tried to attract the attention of the press. On the contrary, Elena Tereshkova tries not to talk publicly about personal matters and does not comment on rumors surrounding her family, and therefore media representatives often had the opportunity to write various gossip about her, trying to pass them off at face value.
Photo: vokrug.tv Elena Andriyanovna Tereshkova now
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What do Valentina Tereshkova's grandchildren do?
Valentina Vladimirovna is very proud of her grandchildren. In interviews, she happily talks about their achievements. The boys accompany their legendary grandmother to almost all events where she happens.
Valentina Tereshkova’s grandson Alexey Mayorov is already quite old, graduated from secondary school and is currently a student at Moscow State University. Before entering the university, the young man completed military service in the Russian Army. Both he and his younger brother Andrey call their grandmother Valya.
Andrei Rodionov, the second grandson of Valentina Tereshkova, is seriously interested in music, plays the violin beautifully, but has not yet decided on his choice of profession. The boy does not rule out that he will connect his life with the military profession, but whether it will be in space, he does not yet know.
The boys speak of their grandmother as strict but fair. They do not hide the fact that in childhood, for pranks, they could even be punished by her with a belt, but they have no resentment for this.
Tereshkova's career after leaving the space squad
Valentina Vladimirovna is not only the first female cosmonaut, but also a very active social activist. After leaving the space industry, she entered politics. Back in Soviet times, Tereshkova was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and after perestroika she became a people's deputy.
Since 2008, Valentina Tereshkova has joined the ruling party of the Russian Federation as a deputy from the Yaroslavl region. In addition, under her “beginning” there is a foundation that is engaged in patriotic and charitable activities, providing assistance to veterans and combatants.
Even the heart surgery she underwent in 2021 did not become a reason for Valentina Vladimirovna to “retire.” She heads the Ethics Committee in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, is actively working within the framework of the activities of her foundation, and continues to delight her admirers, relatives and friends with a radiant smile.
