DDR VERDIENTER MEISTER DES SPORT DOCUMENT TO VALENTINA TERESCHKOWA

[Gordon Craig]

I didn't bid high enough for this document. Someone else had much deeper pockets than I did. But it is worth showing anyway. The auction listing said this was not the original document. Probably one made for display purposes. A medal did not come with the document.

Valentina Tereshkova was born to a peasant family in the Yaroslavl' region of the former USSR on March 6, 1937. Yaroslavl is now a part of Russia.

Soon after starting work in a textile mill at the age of 18, Valentina joined an amateur parachuting club. She was a hard worker. Later, at the age of 24, she applied to become a cosmonaut. Just earlier that year, 1961, the Soviet space program began to consider sending women into space. The Soviets were looking for another "first" at which to beat the United States. On 16 February 1962, Valentina Tereshkova was selected to join the female cosmonaut corps. Out of more than four hundred applicants, five were selected. She was the only one to go into space.

Overseen by the first person in space, Yuri Gagarin, the selection process began mid-1961. Since there weren't many female pilots, women parachutists made an excellent field to choose from. Valentina Tereshkova, three other women parachutists, and a female pilot were selected to train as cosmonauts in 1962.

As per the paranoia of the time, the entire program was shrouded in secrecy. When she left for training, Tereshkova reportedly told her mother she was going to a training camp for an elite skydiving team. It wasn't until the flight was announced on the radio that her mother learned the truth. The identities of the other women in the cosmonaut program were not revealed until the late 1980s. Valentina Tereshkova was the only one of the group to go into space.

The historic first flight of a female cosmonaut was slated to concur with the second dual flight (a mission on which two craft would be in orbit at the same time, and ground control would maneuver them to within 5 km (3 mi) of each other). Scheduled for June of the following year, the flight left only about 15 months for training. Basic training for the women was very similar to that of the male cosmonauts. It included classroom study, parachute jumps, and time in an aerobatic jet. They were all commissioned as second lieutenants in the Soviet Air Force. At that time, the air force had control over the cosmonaut program.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Gordon Craig

[Rogi]

Wow, awesome

How much did it end up going for?

[Paul R]

This is a very historic group. I repeat the question above- what did the grouping close out at?

[Gordon Craig]

Rogi and Paul,

I do not know what the final price was. My highest bid was euros 200.00 and I was advised a few days after I made my bid that I was outbid. However, now that the auction is closed this lot is marked as sold at euros 200.00 but it was not sold to me. I'll ask what happened and what the winning bid was but I don't know that I will get a satisfactory answer. I'll let you know what the auction house replies to my question.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

The auction house has answered and said that it sold for euros 200.00 but I was not the winner as someone else had bid that amount before me. That can not be the case because the reserve bid on the first day of the auction was euros 150.00 and I placed a maximum bid of euros 200.00 on this lot on the first day of the auction. I received a reply that my bid was the winning one at that time. I have just advised the auction house that they have just lost a long time customer.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

I need to retract my statement above. It was not the auction houses fault that I did not win this lot. It was mine. Checking my files I found that when I bid I was notified that I was not the highest bidder. Since I assumed this meant that someone had placed a max bid of more than euros 200, and not wanting to get involved in a bidding war, I did not bid again. Turns out the winner had a max bid of euros 200 as well but had bid it before I did. I learned years ago not to bid even numbers. Always bid one euro/dollar above your max bid. This often wins the day. Perhaps if I had bid euros 201 I would be the owner of this doc today.

Regards,

Gordon