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Biography of Vasili Lazarev - Astronaut
Biography
V
Vasili Grigoryevich Lazarev (Russian language|Russian: Василий Григорь& #1077;вич Лазарев; February 23, 1928 – December 31, 1990) was a Soviet Union|Soviet astronaut|cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 12 manned space mission|spaceflight as well as the abortive Soyuz 18a launch. He was born in Poroshino. 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 Brezhnev to receive it. Lazarev held a PhD 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 died of alcohol poisoning in Moscow. astronaut-stub

