Yaroslav Golovanov Soviet and Russian journalist, writer and popularizer of science Date of Birth: 02.06.1932 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Rocket Engineering and Transition to Journalism
3. Literary and Journalistic Career
4. Space Exploration and Medical Realities
5. Journalism, Career, and Honors
6. Legacy and Continuing Work

Early Life and Education

Yaroslav Kirillovich Golovanov was born on June 2, 1932, in Moscow, Russia, to a family of actors. His father, Kirill Nikolaevich Golovanov, was the founder and first director of the Theater of Transportation, now known as the N.V. Gogol Moscow Drama Theatre. His mother, Anfisa Vasilyevna Golovanova (née Kozlova), was a leading actress at the Theater of Transportation under the pseudonym Andreyeva.

Young Golovanov's childhood in Moscow was interrupted by the Second World War. In 1941, his family evacuated to Omsk and returned to Moscow in 1943. After graduating from high school in 1950, Golovanov defied his parents' wishes to pursue careers in filmmaking or architecture and enrolled in the newly established secret rocket engineering faculty of the Moscow Higher Technical School named after N.E. Bauman.

Rocket Engineering and Transition to Journalism

During his studies at Bauman, Golovanov excelled in technical subjects and gained practical experience at a factory in Dnepropetrovsk. However, after graduating in 1956, he realized that rocket engineering was not his passion.

In November 1956, Golovanov joined the science department of the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" under the guidance of renowned journalist Mikhail Khvastunov. He quickly established himself as a rising star in youth journalism, combining his work with a budding family life. In 1958, he was hired as a full-time literary staff member of the department.

Literary and Journalistic Career

Golovanov's enthusiasm for journalism led him to secure a posting as a correspondent on a fishing expedition to Africa in 1959. His experiences there resulted in a series of newspaper essays and the novel "The Wind-Up Monkey" (1967), later published as "Souvenir from Gibraltar" (1968).

Prior to his African expedition, Golovanov had already published several научно-популярные (science-popularizing) books, including "Storming the Abyss" (1963) and "Travels to the Land of Uranium" (1963). His novel "Blacksmiths of Thunder" (1964) featured the groundbreaking theme of spacecraft engineers. The novel caught the attention of Chief Spacecraft Designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who offered Golovanov an opportunity to fly to space.

Space Exploration and Medical Realities

Golovanov underwent medical examinations at the Institute of Biomedical Problems from July to August 1965. However, Korolev's death in January 1966 dashed his hopes of becoming the first journalist in space. Despite this setback, "Blacksmiths of Thunder" opened doors for Golovanov, leading to his acceptance into the Union of Soviet Writers in 1966.

Journalism, Career, and Honors

Golovanov's career at "Komsomolskaya Pravda" continued to ascend. He became head of the information department in 1960, a roving correspondent in 1963, and a member of the editorial board in 1966. In 1968, driven by his desire for creative freedom, he transitioned to the role of columnist. For the next decade, he served as a special correspondent for "Komsomolskaya Pravda" at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Golovanov's extensive travels took him to 25 countries on all continents except Antarctica. He also explored Russia's non-black earth regions, writing numerous reportages from Ukraine, Crimea, the Baltics, the Caucasus, the Urals, Siberia, Central Asia, the Pamir and Tien Shan mountains, the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the Kurils.

Throughout his five-decade career, Golovanov published over 1,200 newspaper articles, 160 magazine articles, and 20 books, with a total circulation of over 2,300,000 copies. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He is the recipient of the prestigious "Golden Pen" journalistic award, two Soviet orders, and the title of Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Legacy and Continuing Work

Yaroslav Golovanov's lifelong passion for космонавтика (cosmonautics) is reflected in his numerous books on the subject, including "Blacksmiths of Thunder," "Essays on Scientists," "Essays on the Great," "Architecture of Weightlessness," "Our Gagarin," and "Martian" (a novel about Friedrich Zander). His magnum opus, "Korolev: Facts and Myths," published in 1994, is an ongoing work that explores the life and legacy of Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev.

In 1998-1999, "Komsomolskaya Pravda" serialized Golovanov's notebooks, titled "Notes of Your Contemporary," which chronicled the second half of the 20th century and garnered significant reader interest. The notebooks are slated for publication as a separate book.

Yaroslav Kirillovich Golovanov has been married three times and has children with each of his wives: Vasily (b. 1960), Alexander (b. 1965), Dmitry (b. 1974), and Olga (b. 1988). He maintains close relationships with all his children. Currently, he resides and works in the writers' village of Peredelkino.