On the marriage of the first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova not much was known. Exactly fourty years ago, she became the wife of no less legendary than herself, astronaut – Andrian Nikolayev. They lived together for so long – eighteen years. Their marriage is shrouded in mystery to this day. It was her friend Tatiana Morozycheva who had to fly into space. But the medical board found unexpectedly that Tanya was pregnant. They say soon the woman could not recover from the shock, became addicted to alcohol.

When 26-year-old Valentina after the flight landed safely, many resentment and envy gave way to pity. After space travel Tereshkova suffered badly. These seventy hours were living hell for her. Almost all the time Valentina constantly nauseated and vomited. But she tried to keep calm – the Earth got the reports: “I – “The Seagull”. The flight is normal”. And while catapulting Tereshkova hit her head on the helmet – landed with a huge bruise on her cheek and head. Valentina was almost unconscious. She was urgently brought to a hospital in Moscow. Medicine reported that the life and health of Tereshkova’s out of danger. The next day, immediately made staging newsreel footage: Tereshkova was put into the apparatus, space technicians ran up to her. Then one of them opened the lid of the machine. Tereshkova was sitting inside, cheerful, smiling. This documentary was spread all over the world.

From space, “The Seagull” has returned a different woman. She becomes a cult – the ladies ask to make a hairstyle like Tereshkova’s. She is invited to the Kremlin, her hands are kissed. Civil society organizations around the world want to see her as an honorary member. Her jacket, except for Star of the Hero, is decorated with two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, Red Banner of Labor and Friendship of Peoples. She – the hero of the Republic of Bulgaria and Mongolia. Tereshkova becomes a woman – legend. She was assigned the rank of general (she was so far – the only woman in the Russian army, General). One of the craters on the moon was named after her .

Everyone who knew her, said that “from there Tereshkova returned another woman. She came home to Yaroslavl, a month after the flight. The townspeople were waiting at the gate, when the famous astronaut after meeting with weavers would come to them, but she didn’t. Tereshkova left through the back entrance, right to the pier to the boat. The people were disappointed. After the meeting was to be held at the stadium with their compatriots. And again, people were waiting a heroine getting ready to dress up. And again – saw nothing.

She changed, she could not be herself. All time with bodyguards, official people, who followed her everywhere. The secretaries of regional committees, town committees … Even her voice, tone, and phrases changed. About her life we learned only from the newspapers.

Five months after the flight – November 3, 1963 – Tereshkova surprised many, getting married to cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev. No one could understand why this man became her husband. It was rumored that she was in love with Gagarin, but he was already married. Yaroslavl remembered that she was once a bride, but who he was, where and what happened to him? One newspaper named Robert Silin, with whom Valentina trained at the flying club and for whom allegedly planned to marry. However, reporters failed to find the man.

The only explanation for all this unexpected marriage for many is the fact that theey were betrothed by Khrushchev himself. Medical scientists also pushed them to marriage, they wanted to continue the study begun in the space on the human body during and after the flight. In addition, the head of state wanted to show the world what “correct” marriage should be. And indeed, such star pair could not be found anywhere in the world. Nikolaev at that time was the only one who stayed in space for the longest time – four days. He was the first to be allowed to get rid of the chair and go to “free floating”. In addition, he was the only unmarried man in a team of astronauts.

True, there were those who flatly denied the version of the marriage by Khrushchev’s order. The third woman cosmonaut Yelena Kondakova said: “The members of the first team were so privileged people that listened to nobody, even to Nikita Sergeyevich. And if Valentina said “no”, no Central Committee could make her”.

Nikita Khrushchev could do nothing, said in an interview Andrian Nikolayev. It was him, on the contrary, who spoiled the wedding. I wanted the wedding to be held in the House of officers of the Moscow garrison, booked a table for 300 people, but Khrushchev transferred the wedding to the Government Reception House. And it could only accommodate 200 people. Hundreds of friends and relatives, were asked to wait for us at Star City. And as soon as Khrushchev and his wife left the wedding, we immediately ran to our friends.

A year later, Valentina and Adrian had a daughter. It is believed that the girl was born prematurely and deaf. However, except for strabismus in childhood, no other external factors pointed to her illness, no one noticed. Elena graduated with honors from the school, medical school. She is now married and has a son Alyosha, who tells everyone that his grandparents were flying on a rocket. Neither about the marriage of the mother and the father, nor about the subsequent divorce, their daughter says nothing. It is possible that all the nuances Tereshkova did not open it until now.

Divorce of star pair shook many. At the same time, the divorce was not a surprise for everyone. When the family Tereshkova and Nikolayev was born, there were those who understood: it is not for a long time. Nikolai Kamanin November 10, 1963, wrote in his diary: “Yesterday at the airport Valya and Andrian smiled and apparently were quite comfortable with each other …. For the science and policy of their marriage, perhaps, it is useful, but I ‘m not sure that Valya really loves Adrian. They are too different: she is – fire , and he – water. Both are strong, strong-willed people, none of them will give up … the marriage of such people can only lose”.

Adrian G. himself in his first book, “Meet me in orbit”, published in the 66th gently writes about his wife: “We are happy. We’ve found each other, as the most treasured in life. We have similar views on life, the common work, common goals, and as Valya said, one river – both of us are from the Volga …” And already in his second book, “Cosmos – a road without end”, published in the 79th he wrote short and dry about Tereshkova.

In the early 80’s Valentina Tereshkova became acquainted with Julius Germanovich Shaposhnikov, who headed the Central Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics. They said that it was because her he left his previous family. A few years ago, he died of cancer. “Humble and a hard worker,” – he was described. And Valentina warmly spoke about the second husband.

Tereshkova always dresses up modestly, the same hard-working. One day she was at a party of school teachers. Tereshkova has done much to Yaroslavl, helping people. In 1996 the head teacher of her school became seriously ill, she needed an operation. Thanks to Tereshkova the operation was made ​​in Moscow for free.

Nikolayev himself keeps silence about his marriage with Tereshkova. A feeling that the former spouses have agreed not to disclose the facts of their family life.

The official website of the Center for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under the Russian government, headed by Valentina Tereshkova, says: “We are open to cooperation and collaboration”. Unfortunately, this is not about personal life of the first female astronaut.