posted 08-09-2015 05:34 AM               

Space Cover 329: Vostok 2

This week's Space Cover of the Week commemorates the Vostok 2 flight of Gherman Titov.

This cover was cancelled on the 15th anniversary of the flight in 1976. Titov flew 17 orbits in 25 hours 18 minutes. Titov passed away on September 20, 2000 due to a cardiac arrest at age 65.

posted 08-09-2015 06:09 PM               

• Titov remains the youngest person to fly to space ever – only 25 years old. Just a month before his 26 birthday.
  
• Titov was the only soviet cosmonaut not being member of Communist Party. He was a candidate since 1957, but accepted on 7th Aug 1961, right after his return.
  
• Titov was the first to express symptoms of space illness.

posted 08-09-2015 09:30 PM               

I was "that close" to getting his autograph — maybe ten feet away. The only thing I had for him to sign was a NASA B&W litho of the Apollo Soyuz hookup.

I was "that close."

A few minutes later I saw Titov leaving through a side door heading for a limo with his two "security people."

I burst out another side door, approached Titov with my John Belushi/Blues Brothers "please look" and he signed my litho. The security people had given me the "stop sign" before Titov and I connected.

posted 08-09-2015 10:04 PM               

FDC commemorating Vostok 2 flight with Moscow cancellation:

FDC for the 1st anniversary of Vostok-2 flight with Moscow cancellation:

Special cancellation for 50 years of Vostok-2 flight, Moscow cancellation:

posted 08-09-2015 10:16 PM               

Special cancellation for 50 years of landing, issued by Krasny Kut. Krasny Kut (ukr – Beautiful Corner) is a small town near Saratov in Southern Russia, was the place of Titov landing and now holding memorial and museum. Museum rubber cancellation is in blue.

G&G (GeoGraf) publishing house issued a cover to commemorate 50 years of Titov flight, as part of Space Fleet Ships series, featuring Morzhoverz tracking ship. The controversy is that Morzhovets had nothing to do with Vostok-2 flight, as it was commissioned at 1967 - part of the 3rd batch of command-control-complex vessels (rus – KIK).

Last but not the least is the ISS covers with Titov stamp for 25-26 expeditions. I don't know any dedicated Titov cancellation from ISS, but the fact the stamp is present on the cover is quite unusual, as mostly you can find Gagarin and Baykonur stamps on the board covers in 2011.

posted 08-10-2015 08:35 AM               

He became better known to the West after his account of his life and mission, 'I am Eagle!' (his flight call sign) came out in 1962 co-written by Martin Caidin.

posted 02-14-2016 08:40 AM               

Titov was originally from Barnaul – a small town in Altai region (Southern Siberia). An interesting official cancellation was issued to commemorate his arrival to the homeland

1962 brought another wave towards 1st anniversary of Vostok 2. Official issue was printed in enormous 50,000 pcs.

Interesting Barnaul – Titov hometown, "club" cachet for example.

posted 02-14-2016 08:41 AM               

In modern Russian postal history Titov was commemorated several times – 40 and 50 years of flight, 75th birthday and 80th birthday.