Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev arrived in Vitebsk and participated in the opening of the space museum at the Novkinskaya school
An Unusual School
The Novkino School building was constructed 27 years ago based on a non-standard design, which resulted in a dome on the top floor, referred to here as an observatory.
– Even before Oleg Artemyev's first visit in 2015, we had a planetarium, – says the institution's director Olga Trublovskaya. – A model of a mechanical planetarium was built in 2012 with the support of Vladimir Golubev, Associate Professor of the Department of Engineering Physics at VSU named after P. Masherov, and a labor education teacher, and parents. The fact is that Vladimir Alexandrovich was my school teacher; he taught me both in school and during my university years. Despite his busy schedule, he supported our initiative and started teaching an astronomy elective in Novkino.
The "observatory" received a second wind in 2013 when Novkino Secondary School, together with partners from Zemgale School (Latvia), received a large European Union grant within the framework of cross-border cooperation. An astronomical observation platform was built, a modern telescope was installed, a digital planetarium and other equipment were acquired. A modern astronomical complex appeared in the Vitebsk region, and Novkino School became a branch of the Department of Engineering Physics of the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Technology at VSU.
– But something was missing, – explains Olga Trublovskaya. – Especially since we already had a lot of interesting and rare literature on astronomy and space, as Vladimir Golubev is also the author of school textbooks. A commemorative photograph was also found – Valentina Tereshkova visited Novka in 1972! Vladimir Golubev told Oleg Artemyev about the school, and he agreed to come. He brought one of the braking engines, a part of the descent module's parachute, and onboard documentation from the ISS. This all became the basis of the museum room.
The cosmonaut with Vitebsk roots was welcomed with great honors in Novka for the second time: the school had a "star bar" where one could taste cookies in the shape of celestial bodies, and exhibitions of astrophotography "Earth – Space" and children's drawings "Gravitsappa" were organized.
Oleg Germanovich interacted with the schoolchildren and gave them posters, calendars that had been to space, crew emblems with autographs, and most importantly, left his own.
Similar souvenirs were received by Vitebsk State University. Oleg Artemyev took the flags of Vitebsk and the region to the ISS. For now, they are with his parents, but they are promised to be transferred to the local history museum in the near future.
When Dad is in Space
Over two flights, Oleg Artemyev spent almost 366 days in space, and went into outer space three times. And invariably, according to him, he felt the support of his loved ones: his wife Anna, seven-year-old son Saveliy, and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Anfisa.
His parents, German Alekseevich and Olga Nikolaevna, who have lived in Vitebsk since 1992, almost always saw their son off and met him at Baikonur or in Star City.
– Oleg is a rare guest, unfortunately, – sighs Olga Nikolaevna. – After his second flight, he underwent rehabilitation for six months and could only come for two days. Then the commission will make a verdict on whether he can go to space again. My son is visiting with his grandson Savely and his wife. Anfisa is little, she was left in the Moscow region. Even in space, my son never forgets about us. He called a few times a month, we talked for 10-15 minutes. I remember him telling me which countries he was flying over while we were talking on the phone.
But it's hardest for his wife, Anna, of course. She sees her husband much less often than she would like.
– We are already used to the fact that our dad is a cosmonaut and doesn't fully belong to us, – says Anna Sergeevna with sadness. – I grew up in a military family and I understand all this perfectly. Oleg worked towards his dream for a very long time.
I support my husband in everything, but I always worry a lot. Sometimes he called from space several times a day. The only downside is that the call can only be initiated by him, which means you have to keep your mobile phone handy. Once a week, the flight center holds video conferences with cosmonauts from the ISS. Once, my son and I even played chess with Oleg.
– We also saw the station flying over our house, – adds Savely. – And dad called us right then, he said, I'm flying over you, can you see?
– Do you dream of becoming a cosmonaut like your dad? – I ask him.
– No, I'll be a paleontologist, – the boy replies and turns to his mother.
– We all miss dad very much, even after the flight, he has a lot of studying and business trips, – she shares. – Therefore, perhaps, for the son, space is not a very pleasant topic. After the ISS, we managed to spend only three weeks together when we went to the USA, as is customary after returning from the station. At the same time, Oleg took a vacation, and we traveled. We dream of escaping to the sea as a family.
One of the few
I met Oleg Artemyev twice, and each time he impressed me with his modesty and positivity. Even his personal autograph has a smiley face! Meanwhile, throughout the history of space flights, just over 500 Earthlings have been in orbit. And Oleg is among them.
– What do people ask you most often? – I inquire.
– Whether I have met aliens, about the sensations during launch and landing, about food and the toilet in zero gravity, – the cosmonaut replies with a smile.
He briefly commented on his second flight: everything went according to plan. And if any equipment broke down, the actions for any situation are still brought to automatism on Earth.
– Do you dream of conquering space again? – I ask.
– After rehabilitation, I feel good, I will undergo a medical examination, – Oleg Germanovich replies. – No one in the cosmonaut corps has ever refused the opportunity to fly.
He also said that he really loves to visit his parents with his whole family.
– Coming to Belarus is like a vaccination against all illnesses, – he admits. – This is my childhood. I still fondly remember the summer holidays I spent with my grandparents in the village of Druya, Braslav district. I used to go fishing with my uncle. It's a pity I can't come here more often.
