The Russian Thing

Like many Russians in the early 90s, Sergei Zalyotin is struggling to make ends meet. He moonlights as a taxi driver for extra cash, not unusual in post-communist Russia. What’s unusual is his other job: Sergei is a cosmonaut. Meanwhile, Alexander ‘Sasha’ Lazutkin and his wife Lyudmila, are trying to raise two young daughters, amid the chaos and food shortages. While Sasha immerses himself to his studies at the Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre, Lyudmila works tirelessly to provide for the family.

Two hundred and fifty miles above Earth, a crown jewel of communism still survives: the Soviet space station Mir, the final outpost of a fallen empire. But the country’s space program is fighting for survival, and the US government are concerned that Russian rocket scientists, with their valuable nuclear knowledge, might be recruited by 'rogue states'. America responds with the Shuttle-Mir Programme: US astronauts will train in Russia and live aboard Mir for months at a time. The partnership funnels vital funds to the Russian space agency while giving Nasa the long-duration flight experience it needs.

Initially wary of collaborating with former Cold War adversaries, Nasa astronaut Jerry Linenger nonetheless volunteers for ‘the Russian thing’. He’s joined in Star City by the genial British-born astronaut Michael Foale. Both men relocate their families to Russia, gradually adapting to a new culture and traditions. Jerry launches to Mir in January 1997, soon to be followed by rookie cosmonaut Sasha. For Sasha, the mission is both thrilling and daunting - but as he bids farewell to Ludmilla and their daughters, a famous Russian mystic ominously warns of a dark fate.

The prophecy quickly comes true. A few weeks into Sasha’s stay, a perilous fire threatens everyone on board. And when Michael replaces Jerry on the station, the crew faces an even greater crisis when a cargo ship collides with Mir, sending it tumbling out of control. Sasha and Michael work together in a desperate struggle to save both themselves and the station. Their success helps lay the foundation for years of future cooperation between the two nations in space. For Michael and Sasha, their experience on Mir bonds the two men together in a lifelong friendship.

With unseen personal archive material offering a rare glimpse inside Russia’s Star City, this is an unprecedented look at the nascent co-operation between two great superpowers.