Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev (June 26, 1925, Chelizshevo - January 10, 1970, Moscow), was a cosmonaut who flew on the historic Voskhod 2 mission. Belyayev was selected for the space programme in 1960 after nearly fifteen years' experience in the Soviet air force and navy. He was originally to fly the Vostok 8 mission into Earth's Van Allen radiation belt, but this was cancelled. He died in 1970 from peritonitis that resulted from an operation on a stomach ulcer and is buried in the Novodevichy convent in Moscow. Pavel Belyayev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union (March 23, 1965), Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Star, numerous medals and foreign orders. He also bore the title of the Hero of Socialist Labor of Bulgaria, Hero of Vietnam, and Hero of Mongolia. A minor planet 2030 Belyaev discovered in 1969 by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh is named after him.
