Vasily Lazarev
| Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev | |
|---|---|
| Cosmonaut | |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Born |
February 23, 1928 Poroshino, Altai Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died |
December 31, 1990 (aged 62) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Other occupation | Medical Doctor |
| Rank | Colonel, Soviet Air Force |
Time in space | 1d 23h 15m |
| Selection |
Voskhod Group (Medical Group 1) |
| Missions | Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18a |
| Awards |
  |
Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev (Russian: Васи́лий Григо́рьевич Ла́зарев; February 23, 1928 – December 31, 1990) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 12 spaceflight as well as the abortive Soyuz 18a launch.
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 only 62.
He was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the title Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR and the Order of Lenin.