The formation of my personality began in Belarus - G. Grechko

May 17, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Georgy Grechko considers himself a Belarusian cosmonaut, among other things, as his personal development began in Belarus, the homeland of his maternal ancestors. He stated this today at a meeting with teachers and students of Vitebsk State Medical University, BELTA correspondent reports. "I am, to some extent, a Belarusian cosmonaut, because, although I was born in Leningrad, I was formed as a person in Chashniki," Georgy Grechko emphasized. His mother was born in Chashniki district, and little Georgy used to visit his grandfather, fish, pick potatoes, and gain his first life experience. "This is where I actually started as a person, for example, there was a cemetery not far from home, I was scared, but I went there, and that's why later in space, when there was a fire, I was scared, but I put it out," the famous cosmonaut shared. Georgy Grechko has now completed work on another book titled "From a Splinter to Space," in which he shares memories of the remarkable people he was fortunate to meet in his life. "It was here, in Chashniki, that I lived in a hut without electricity or kerosene; my grandfather simply lit a splinter and read me the 'Niva' magazine," Georgy Grechko explained the title of the book. During his trip to the Vitebsk region, Georgy Mikhailovich's long-held dream came true, as he admitted to VSMU students – to visit the homeland of his ancestors. He visited the place where his grandfather's hut stood, found the pond where he had drowned a pot as a boy. Georgy Grechko also visited the district local history museum, where he donated the book "Famous Dates in Space," co-authored with pilot-cosmonaut Pyotr Klimuk. -0-