Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev (Russian: Васи́лий Григо́рьевич Ла́зарев; 23 February 1928 – 31 December 1990) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 12 spaceflight as well as the abortive Soyuz 18a launch on 5 April 1975.

Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev
Born	(1928-02-23)23 February 1928 Poroshino, Altai Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	31 December 1990(1990-12-31) (aged 62) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Soviet
Occupation	Medical Doctor
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union
Space career
Cosmonaut
Rank	Colonel, Soviet Air Force
Time in space	1d 23h 36m
Selection	Voskhod Group (Medical Group 1)
Missions	Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18a

He was injured by the high acceleration of the abort and landing and was initially denied his spaceflight bonus pay, having to appeal directly to Leonid Brezhnev to receive it. Brezhnev was at the time the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Lazarev held a degree in medicine and the rank of colonel in the Soviet Air Force. He remained in the space programme until failing a physical in 1981. He never fully recovered from the injuries sustained on Soyuz 18a and died on the last day of 1990 at the age of 62.

He was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the title Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR and the Order of Lenin.

References

Shayler David (17 May 2000). Disasters and Accidents in Manned Spaceflight. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-85233-225-9.

На других языках

[de] Wassili Grigorjewitsch Lasarew

[fr] Vassili Lazarev

[it] Vasilij Grigor'evič Lazarev

[ru] Лазарев, Василий Григорьевич