Tereshkova myth exposed

For 40 years, it has been recorded that Valentina Tereshkova was
selected as a cosmonaut in response to a letter she wrote to the Soviet
authorities, after the flight of Gherman Titov, in August 1961.

I've now located an interesting entry in the diary of Nikolai Kamanin,
which has been available for years, but has had limited exposure.

While writing about the publication of Tereshkova's book 'Universe -
Open Ocean' in March 1964, Kamanin wrote :-

'21st March 1964

'.... in the book Valya long dreams about space (the letter,
conversations, thoughts, doubts) are described, but in real life all
was different. Before meeting with the representative from Moscow (at
the aeroclub) and conversations with him, Valya had no idea about
flight into space.

In the book the instructor of Yaroslavl aeroclub Morozychev long before
Tereshkova arrived in TSPK, names her " Gagarin in a skirt ". This
appropriate nickname I gave to her when already
in the Center 2-3 months prior to her flight.......... But taking into
account, that the book actually is ready for press and she wishes to
release it by third anniversary of flight of Gagarin, we have decided
to not bring into the text the essential changes.....'

So, it's appears that Tereshkova got a bit carried away while writing
the book, and the myth about her letter grew from this. Kamanin knew it
was untrue, but the book was published anyway, just to meet a deadline
!

Forty years on, most biographies mention Tereshkova's letter, but it
now seems it never existed.

Nice item -- may I share it on another Russian space interest group?

It would be useful to attach your real name and email to that version,
so contact me at joberg at houston dot rr dot com, please.


wrote in message
ups.com...
For 40 years, it has been recorded that Valentina Tereshkova was
selected as a cosmonaut in response to a letter she wrote to the Soviet
authorities, after the flight of Gherman Titov, in August 1961.

I've now located an interesting entry in the diary of Nikolai Kamanin,
which has been available for years, but has had limited exposure.

While writing about the publication of Tereshkova's book 'Universe -
Open Ocean' in March 1964, Kamanin wrote :-

'21st March 1964

'.... in the book Valya long dreams about space (the letter,
conversations, thoughts, doubts) are described, but in real life all
was different. Before meeting with the representative from Moscow (at
the aeroclub) and conversations with him, Valya had no idea about
flight into space.

In the book the instructor of Yaroslavl aeroclub Morozychev long before
Tereshkova arrived in TSPK, names her " Gagarin in a skirt ". This
appropriate nickname I gave to her when already
in the Center 2-3 months prior to her flight.......... But taking into
account, that the book actually is ready for press and she wishes to
release it by third anniversary of flight of Gagarin, we have decided
to not bring into the text the essential changes.....'

So, it's appears that Tereshkova got a bit carried away while writing
the book, and the myth about her letter grew from this. Kamanin knew it
was untrue, but the book was published anyway, just to meet a deadline
!

Forty years on, most biographies mention Tereshkova's letter, but it
now seems it never existed.

Jim

Feel free to republish this information anywhere you feel appropriate.

I've also mailed you direct regarding further Tereshkova related
material which I've unearthed, which you may wish me to share with you.
TonyQ

Actually, I think one of the neatest stories in Kamanin in this
connection was how, although the Mercury 13 American female astronaut
candidates never flew, their existence seems to have provided Kamanin
with the ammunition he needed to get Tereshkova's flight approved.
Kamanin attended a barbecue at John Glenn's house on 4 May 1962. There,
he understood Glenn to say that "...several Amerrican women are
considered fit for spaceflight, and the first American woman could make
a three-orbit flight in the second half of 1962". This never happened,
but the threat of the Ameicans being seems to have been a key factor in
getting Tereshkova's flight approved by the leadership....


http://www.astronautix.com/articles/kams1962.htm

http://www.astronautix.com/astrogrp/mer31961.htm
Mark Wade
http://www.astronautix.com/

Jim

Feel free to repost this anywhere you feel it will be of interest.

I have e-mailed you direct too, as I have more Tereshkova related
material which may be of interest.

TonyQ

In article .com,
wrote:
Actually, I think one of the neatest stories in Kamanin in this
connection was how, although the Mercury 13 American female astronaut
candidates never flew...

Small quibble: there were no American female astronaut candidates then.
The "Mercury 13" were never candidates, in anyone's eyes except their own
and those of a few over-enthusiastic organizers.

(Said organizers hoped that if the women scored well in tests, NASA might
consider them... ignoring the fact that they did not meet the most basic
requirement, a requirement ratified by the president himself: they were
not active-duty military test pilots. Neil Armstrong wasn't eligible to
be a Mercury astronaut, never mind the "Mercury 13".)

But yes, it is interesting that this recently-overhyped group of obvious
non-candidates spurred the Soviets into action...
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |

Jim, you are welcome to republish this anywhere you feel it will be of
interest.

I have mailed you direct as requested, regarding some other Tereshkova
related material which I have recently unearthed.

TonyQ

Jim, you are welcome to republish this anywhere you feel it will be of
interest.

I have mailed you direct as requested, regarding some other Tereshkova
related material which I have recently unearthed.

TonyQ

I was just about to post exactly the same reference, in response to
Henry's note !

It certainly appears that Kamanin thought the threat of an American
woman in space was real.

In March 1962, when only three of the women cosmonauts had actually
reported for training, he told them they had five months to get ready
for a spaceflight, which was tentatively scheduled for late August
1962.

Although this proved to be over optimistic, by late August, in the wake
of Vostoks 3 & 4, Kamanin was still trying to generate support for a
solo flight by a female cosmonaut in October 1962, even though it must
have been obvious that the American threat had evaporated. As the women
did not actually finish their training until November, it suggests
Kamanin was have been prepared to risk flying one of them before
training was fully complete.

Kamanin then moved on to promoting the idea of a dual female flight in
Spring 1963, citing the similarity to Vostoks 3 & 4 as the basis for
favouring this flight plan over other options, but that's another
story......

TonyQ

On 14 Dec 2004 23:50:15 -0800, wrote:

I've also mailed you direct regarding further Tereshkova related
material which I've unearthed, which you may wish me to share with you.

....Pat and I have been wondering if you have copies of that birthday
party for Nikita Sergeivitch where Val popped out of a big birthday
cake wearing nothing but a sash made from a Soviet Red Army flag?

OM

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