UP0R                 

Rmembing the expedition 12.04.1992 year.

The Dzhezkazgan region of Kazakhstan is sparsely populated and seemingly unrelated to the space effort. The exception is that it is a safe landing area for spacecraft returning to earth far from human habitation and devoid of physical hazards in its vast expanse. In one instance, a radio broadcast from a spacecraft identified its location as 150 km (90 miles) northeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan."

 Special Search and Recover personnel staged from the city of Karaganda to secure the Lander and its personnel as soon as possible. The Transport Division had a van or used air force tactical transport aircraft depending on the distance to the space craft.

I was a crewmember on a four turbo-jet engined Antonov AN-12, the military version of the AN-10 civilian airliner. A twin-engine, turbo-prop Antonov AN-26 was an alternative if an AN-12 was not available for such use.

The time between such recovery expeditions was spent in class. Aviation and Astronautics were taught there and dominated casual conversation in the smoking rooms. The importance was amplified when I became the director of DOSAAF.  

Radio and sports activities were emphasized in the annual plan. Participation in the radio club "Fifth Ocean", newly formed, was enthusiastic.

Kazakhstan had a similar club, Aviation and Cosmonautics, named for Kazakhstan's first cosmonaut, Takhtar Aubakirov. (I met him once at one of the Congress of DOSAAF of the Republic meetings. I  was elected as a delegatere to the congress twice.) 

Nearly every year, on 12 April, the Federation of Dzhezkazgan assigned radio call signs in honor of Yuri Gagarin's role as the first man in space: R7RG - Radio Gagarin and UL1RWR - first astronaut.

I want to recall the tragedy of Soyuz-11 and our memorial DXpedition in its honor. After careful planning, the expedition was timed to arrive at the memorial stelle on 12 April, the Day of Cosmonautics in 1992.

This would be the first of a kind event conducted by the Fed and the Priozersk area radio club. The expedition included hams with official representatives of military and civil aviation: Victor Borodin (UL7RE, RV3YR), Alexander Romanov (UN7RCN), Valery Gamaev (UN7RK), Yuri Koltyrin (ex: UL7RX, now DJ6BQ), Victor Teplyakov (UL7RL), Nicholas Nekrasov (UL7RR), Alexander Belyakov (UL7RAN), Alexander Kravtsov (UL7RBL) and others.

Soyuz-11 crashed to earth on 30 June 1971 killing the astronauts aboard it: Hero Sovetskog George T. Dobrowolski Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Volkov Vladislav, and Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Patsayev.

The crash site is thirty kilometers from the village of Shalginsk. The stele erected there has bas-reliefs of the astronauts. Commemorative plaques identify the monument as the landing site of Soyuz -11 and was constructed by a resolution of the Council of Ministers. The original stele was cast from one and half tons of high grade copper alloy 9999. Shortly after it was erected, unknow thieves stole it and sold the metal as scrap.

Each year, relatives and friends among the astronaut corps come to lay flowers and pay tribute to their heroism.

There was no problem reaching the village. At this time, snow is gone from the steppes. However, the lack of roads and directions to the monument site made it necessary to trust the local people who arranged the transport. Nikolai Nekrasov (UL7RR) lived in Shalginske and opened his home to members of this expedition. We shared pictures of of the moments at the site. Today, seeing them, we wish there were more. However, there are no records concerning the details of the trip. These reside only in the memories of the participants.

A mobile station, used by  Angara, came to Shalginsk and Alexander Kravtsov (UL7RBL). Sasha often traveled by private car with it. This radio station proved useful to us.

At the monument, we stretched a long line antenna over the top of it and went on the air as UP0R/A. We toasted this success with nine-filled glasses.

"For those pilots - the astronauts, who are not dead, and to those who did not spare their most expensive possession--their lives."

Cosmonauts, we held a memorial for Cosmonauts and pilots that did not return from their last flight. Calls were received from pilots, veterans and young aviators sent greetings from Baikonur Commodore, Star City and other places related to space exploration. Many young people spoke to us.

The expedition counted four thousand contacts with radio amateurs around the world. 

All issues involved, Nikolai Nekrasov (UL7RR), who lived in the Shalginske. In his home and placed members of the expedition. Proving was brought to him, which was not unimportant. Today, looking at these pictures a little regret that they were not so much. The footage turned out to be the most important moments, but the details of the trip were only in the memory of its participants. This is - as traveled as at an intermediate point we met a group of young people and fed lunch (this meeting in the photo below), as prescribed positions in the team and no one wanted to be a cook, so as not to miss the main thing, for what drove here. How quickly repaired in the village and there was no transponder boundaries of gratitude from the locals got the opportunity again to watch television in the province. Constructed as a base station and a complete group of the monument. All this is well remembered all. And the first dinner together, and the air has already heard the call sign UP0R, which many expected, not only from the region (for a long time in the round table discussed the expedition), by the  next morning, got ready to go. As a mobile station used by the "Angara", which took him to Shalginsk Alexander Kravtsov (UL7RBL). Sasha often traveled by private car and his "baby" a lot of time getting him on the road. We can say that he never parted with it. And this time, the radio station very useful to us and also other parts of the hams, which were also informed.

I guess the fifth time we have been able to throw on top of the stele stretch antenna and within a few minutes in the air resounded call UP0R / A. And then raised nine-filled glasses and heard the words: "For those pilots - the astronauts, who are now dead, who did not spare the most expensive-my life."

  Five days without a break sounded in the air the special call sign radio expedition. And on April 12 Day of Cosmonauts, the air held the memorial for died Cosmonauts, as well as all the pilots who did not return from his "last flight". The frequency of the memorial came up pilots veterans and young aviators, sounded greetings collective radio stations from the Baikonur Commodore, Star City and other places related to outer space. For microphones were many young people. Participants in the memorial honored the dead airmen moment of silence. During the expedition took place about 4 thousand contacts with radio amateurs around the world.

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Departure was planned at the spot where the 30 June 1971 there was a tragic landing of spacecraft "Soyuz -11", during which the pilots were killed - the astronauts:  Hero Sovetskog George T. Dobrowolski Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Volkov Vladislav, and Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Patsayev.

There is a city of Dzhezkazgan Karazhal, and with him the village. Shalginsk. So, the tragic landing occurred 30 kilometers from this village. At this point, was later installed a stele with bas-reliefs of the three astronauts on the wings, and a number of commemorative plates with the words: "The memorial sign at the landing site, the spacecraft "Soyuz-11" June 30, 1971. Constructed by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers. "They say that every year here earlier in the day of death, came the relatives and friends of the astronauts on the force, to lay flowers and paid tribute to their heroism. Stella was made of about 1.5 tons high-grade copper 9999. "Was" because a little later, the stele was kidnapped and handed over to the scrap metal unknown criminals. (Note the author). But then she really was, and had plans to visit the village Shalginsk, had heard from a special call and get to the landing site and work on it. As it turned out, the problems get to the village was not, and that's up to the monument traveled in two cars with high traffic and very worried that somewhere zasyadem. In the steppes at the time the snow is gone and it was capital "porridge" and not public roads. About an hour's journey seemed stele, although problems with the road accompanied by feelings that do not find it. But the local guys who organized the transport and not once been to this place did not disappoint, for which many thanks to them.

Dzhezkazgan area, as well as all of Kazakhstan, is literally filled with extraordinary places, in any way related to outer space. Perhaps each of you will remember that when you return the spacecraft to the ground, on the radio sounded the message: "The ship landed 150 km north-east of the

For service in Priozersk, I not once had to participate in the crew An-12 Antonov An-26, or in efforts to search for Lander. Although for these purposes in the city of Karaganda was a special search party, "Van" of our transport division almost every time (and occasionally aircraft) involved in these interesting and important events.

And if such flights were carried out suddenly, the long time and then discussed in class and smoking rooms. That is why so much importance was given to topics of aviation and astronautics at the time of service and after, when I was appointed head of DOSAAF in this city.

It is no secret that radio sports and activities, called the subjects took a more favorable place in the annual plan. In addition, active work in the radio-club pilots "Fifth Ocean", which had just been formed.

And in Kazakhstan, appeared similar to the club "Aviation and Cosmonautics," named after the first cosmonaut of Kazakhstan Takhtar Aubakirova. With him I was able to meet and get acquainted at the Congress of (DOSAAF) of the Republic, of which I was elected a delegate twice.

One of the main topics at the organization of the Federation of Dzhezkazgan events on radio - was the theme of space exploration. Almost every year on April 12 broadcast call signs sounded dedicated to this date:

And today, many years later, I want to tell you about one of these events - the tragic expedition to the place of landing of spacecraft "Soyuz-11". The expedition was timed to the Day of Cosmonautics - April 12, 1992. Preparing for it long and carefully

[This would be the first event of this kind to be conducted by the (Fed) and the Priozersk area radio club. The expedition included amateur radio operators, and representatives of military and civil aviation. Among Victor Borodin (UL7RE, RV3YR); Alexand Romanov (UN7RCN); Valery Gama (UN7RK); Yuri Koltyrin (ex: UL7RX, now DJ6BQ); Victor Teplyakov (UL7RL); Nicholas Nekrasov (UL7RR); Alexander Belyakov (UL7RAN); and Alexander Kravtsov (UL7RBL) among others.]

Five days without a break sounded in the air the special call sign radio expedition. And on April 12 Day of Cosmonauts, the air held the memorial for died Cosmonauts, as well as all the pilots who did not return from his "last flight". The frequency of the memorial came up pilots veterans and young aviators, sounded greetings collective radio stations from the Baikonur Commodore, Star City and other places related to outer space. For microphones were many young people. Participants in the memorial honored the dead airmen moment of silence. During the expedition took place about 4 thousand contacts with radio amateurs around the world