{"product_id":"voskhod-1-2-kniga-covers-coa","title":"Voskhod 1+2  crewsigned KNIGA covers + COA - Vladimir Komarov","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVOSKHOD 1 \u0026amp; VOSKHOD 2 – OFFICIAL KNIGA SIGNED COVER SET\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eComplete Crews • Vladimir Komarov • Alexei Leonov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal KNIGA Certificate of Authenticity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA highly desirable pair of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eofficial Soviet KNIGA commemorative covers honoring the historic Voskhod 1 and Voskhod 2 missions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, personally hand-signed by the complete crews of both spacecraft and accompanied by the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal KNIGA Certificate of Authenticity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe five signatures comprise:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVOSKHOD 1 – October 1964\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVladimir Komarov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – Commander\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKonstantin Feoktistov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – Engineer \/ Scientist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoris Yegorov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – Physician\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVOSKHOD 2 – March 1965\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePavel Belyayev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – Commander\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexei Leonov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e – Pilot \/ First Human to Walk in Space\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTogether, these two covers commemorate two of the most important “firsts” of the early Space Race: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe first spacecraft to carry more than one person into orbit and the first human spacewalk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. NASA identifies Voskhod 1 as the first three-person crewed flight and Voskhod 2 as the mission on which Leonov completed humanity’s first EVA.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVOSKHOD 1 – THE FIRST MULTI-PERSON SPACECRAFT\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLaunched on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOctober 12, 1964\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Voskhod 1 represented a dramatic step beyond the single-cosmonaut Vostok missions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor the first time in history, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethree people traveled into space together\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe crew itself was also revolutionary. Alongside veteran military pilot Vladimir Komarov flew spacecraft designer \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKonstantin Feoktistov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and physician \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoris Yegorov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, making Voskhod 1 the first mission to carry civilian scientific and medical specialists into orbit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTo accommodate three men inside the cramped Voskhod capsule, the crew flew \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewithout spacesuits\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, adding considerably to the inherent risk of the mission. Historical NASA material notes that a loss of cabin pressure would have left the crew with no possibility of survival.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll three men have personally signed the accompanying official KNIGA cover.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVLADIMIR KOMAROV – THE KEY AUTOGRAPH\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom an autograph-collecting perspective, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVladimir Komarov is the key signature in this pair\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFollowing his command of Voskhod 1, Komarov was selected to fly the first mission of the new Soyuz spacecraft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApril 23, 1967\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, he launched aboard \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz 1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe spacecraft suffered numerous technical problems, and during its return to Earth the following day the parachute system failed. Soyuz 1 crashed, killing Komarov. NASA records the mission as ending in a fatal reentry accident.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKomarov therefore had only approximately \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003etwo and a half years between his historic Voskhod 1 flight and his death\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in which substantial post-flight autograph material could be created.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe KNIGA format is particularly attractive because the Komarov signature appears together with those of his actual Voskhod 1 crewmates on an official period philatelic issue created to commemorate their mission.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor collectors seeking a representative Komarov autograph, this is therefore one of the classic and most historically appropriate formats.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVOSKHOD 2 – THE FIRST SPACEWALK\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnly five months later, the Soviet Union achieved another extraordinary first.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVoskhod 2 launched on March 18, 1965\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, carrying commander Pavel Belyayev and pilot Alexei Leonov.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the mission, Leonov entered an inflatable external airlock, opened the hatch and became the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003efirst human being ever to leave a spacecraft and float freely in space\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHis historic EVA became one of the defining images of the early Space Age. Sotheby’s describes Leonov’s March 18, 1965 excursion as humanity’s first spacewalk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe achievement was far more dangerous than it appeared publicly at the time. Leonov’s spacesuit expanded in the vacuum of space, making it extremely difficult for him to re-enter the airlock. The mission also encountered problems during its return to Earth, forcing Belyayev to perform a manual reentry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe signatures of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eboth Belyayev and Leonov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e appear on the Voskhod 2 KNIGA cover.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWHAT IS KNIGA?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe provenance of these covers is particularly important.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKNIGA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, or \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eV\/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga (“International Book”)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, was a major Soviet foreign-trade organization responsible for distributing Soviet cultural products abroad.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts activities included books, newspapers, magazines, postcards, recordings and — importantly for collectors — \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003epostage stamps and philatelic material\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn a contemporary 1961 interview, the organization’s acting chairman specifically stated that Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga exported \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003epostage stamps for collectors\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to foreign countries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKNIGA therefore provided an official Soviet channel through which philatelic material could reach collectors internationally during the Cold War.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts cosmonaut covers have consequently become an established category of Soviet space memorabilia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eORIGINAL KNIGA CERTIFICATE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn especially desirable feature of this offering is the accompanying \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal KNIGA Certificate of Authenticity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA classic and increasingly difficult-to-find pairing for collectors of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoviet space history, cosmonaut autographs, Voskhod memorabilia and astrophilately\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, highlighted by the scarce signature of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVladimir Komarov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and the historic autograph of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexei Leonov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn outstanding signed record of two missions that permanently changed the history of human space exploration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58844126249224,"sku":"10786","price":295.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/10786.jpg?v=1790158202","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/voskhod-1-2-kniga-covers-coa","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}