Georgii Stepanovich Shonin

Born Aug. 3,1935, in the city of Roven’ki, Lugansk Oblast (now Voroshilovgrad Oblast). Pilot and cosmonaut of the USSR; major general of aviation (1977). Hero of the Soviet Union (Oct. 22,1969). Member of the CPSU since 1957.

After graduating from the Eisk Military Aviation School (now the V. M. Komarov Eisk Higher Military Aviation Pilot School) in 1957, Shonin served in naval aviation. He became a cosmonaut in 1960. In 1968 he graduated from the N. E. Zhukovskii Air Force Engineering Academy.

From Oct. 11 to Oct. 16, 1969, Shonin completed, with V. N. Kubasov, a spaceflight as commander of the Soyuz 6 spacecraft. During the flight, various methods of welding metals under the conditions of space were tested for the first time. During the 117 hr 42 min spent in space, his spacecraft made a group flight with the Soyuz 7 and Soyuz 8 spacecraft.

Shonin has been awarded the Order of Lenin, two other orders, and various medals.