Ivan Anikeyev
Encyclopedia
Ivan Nikolayevich Anikeyev (February 12, 1933 - August 8, 1992) was a Soviet cosmonaut who was dismissed from the Soviet space program
for disciplinary reasons.
Senior Lieutenant Anikeyev, age 27, was selected as one of the original 20 cosmonauts on March 7, 1960 along with Yuri Gagarin
.
On March 27, 1963 Anikeyev, Nelyubov
, and Filatyev
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; Anikeyev and Filatyev 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. Anikeyev never completed a space mission.
To protect the image of the space program, efforts were made to cover up the reason for Anikeyev'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.
Alexei Leonov recounts that years later, while Anikeyev was at a party one night, someone stole his keys from his pocket and stole his car. The thief hit and killed a pedestrian, and to avoid responsibility, returned the keys to Anikeyev's pocket. The latter was sent to prison for a year before authorities realized he was innocent and released him, but he was never given the chance to fly again.
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 Anikeyev, age 27, 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 Anikeyev, 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 Filatyev
Valentin Filatyev
Valentin Ignatyevich Filatyev 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; Anikeyev and Filatyev 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. Anikeyev never completed a space mission.
To protect the image of the space program, efforts were made to cover up the reason for Anikeyev'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.
Alexei Leonov recounts that years later, while Anikeyev was at a party one night, someone stole his keys from his pocket and stole his car. The thief hit and killed a pedestrian, and to avoid responsibility, returned the keys to Anikeyev's pocket. The latter was sent to prison for a year before authorities realized he was innocent and released him, but he was never given the chance to fly again.