Bertalan Farkas (FARKAS Bertalan)

The first Hungarian citizen, flew into space. Born August 2, 1949 in a village in eastern Hungary Dyulahaza. My father worked all his life as a shoemaker in the local co-op, his mother led household. In school, his main passion was football. The successes were so serious that the coaches suggested that he look at soccer as a future profession. However, in the senior classes at Bertalan awakened a love for aviation. He joined the club of the Hungarian defense alliance (similar to the Soviet DOSAAF), which was flying a glider, jumped with a parachute. In 1967 he graduated from high school in the city Kisvarda and enrolled in aviation technical college named Gyorgy Kilian. After the second course of continued training in the Soviet Union in the Military Aviation School. He graduated from college in 1972. He served in air defense fighter aircraft Hungary. Innate abilities, a passion for flying very quickly nominated him among the best pilots of the. In 1976 he was qualified as a military pilot class 1. In 1978, together with other Hungarian Magyar pilot Bela (Bela MAGUARI) was selected for training to fly into space aboard the Soviet spacecraft (1978 Group Intercosmos? 2).

In March of that year, began training at the Cosmonaut Training Center named after Yury Gagarin. It has been a crash course in training to fly on a spacecraft like the Soyuz and the space station "Salyut-6". May 26, 1980, along with Soviet cosmonaut Valery N. Kubasov began flying as a cosmonaut-researcher spacecraft "Soyuz-36" (call sign - "Orion-2"). Within seven days, the astronauts have worked aboard the orbital station Salyut-6 "-" Soyuz-35 "-" Soyuz-36 "along with cosmonauts Leonid Ivanovich Popov and Valery Ryumin. Returned to Earth June 3, 1980 aboard Soyuz-35 ". Mission duration was 7 days 20 hours 45 minutes 44 seconds. When he returned home, continued to serve in the Hungarian People's Army. However, the name of the first Hungarian cosmonaut actively used by the communist leadership to promote the "achievements of socialism". Farkas became a "wedding general, always seated in high chairs of all, without exception, national celebrations and festivals. After the change of political regime in the late 80-ies of the astronaut forgotten. From oblivion astronaut dragged the socialists, in 1994, returned to power. First, he awarded the rank of general and then sent to the post of Air Attache to the Embassy of Hungary in the U.S.. But three months, local police had deprived Farkas driver's license for driving while intoxicated. The astronaut was immediately withdrawn to Hungary for an "official proceeding" in the United States did not return. In 1997, discharged from the army to retire. Currently, a business venture, is trying to organize a joint venture with the help of their colleagues from the United States, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Hero of the Soviet Union (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 3, 1980). The hero of the Hungarian People's Republic (Decree of the Presidium of the IRR of 3 June 1980). He was awarded the Soviet Order of Lenin, the Hungarian orders and medals.