ISS Commander,
Soyuz TMA TSC Commander,
Test Cosmonaut of S.P. Korolev
Rocket & Space Corporation Energia, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 
Born August 31, 1953, in Magadan, Russia.

EDUCATION: 
In 1977 he graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), department Flight Vehicles with specialization in SC Production; was qualified as a mechanical engineer.
In 1980 he graduated from the MAI department by correspondence, faculty: Automated Design Systems  with specialization in systems Analysis, Large-Scale Computing Systems.

FAMILY STATUS: Married, has three children.

AWARDS AND RANKS:
HERO of the Russian Federation (1998), Pilot Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation (1998). Decorated with the Gold Star Medal of the HERO of the Russian Federation (1998) and the Space Flight Medal, NASA (1998).

HOBBY: 
Sports, aviation and cosmonautics history, astronomy.

WORK EXPERIENCE:
From September 1970 he was a turner’s apprentice and from October 1970 to April 1971 he was a second-grade turner at Moscow Machine-Building Plant Krasny Oktiabr.
From September 1971 to March 1977 he was a student of Moscow Aviation Institute.
From 1977 to 1983 he was an engineer and then a senior engineer of MAI.
From 1983 to 1992 he was an engineer, a senior engineer, a leading engineer, the head of group, the head of NPO Energia section.
He was engaged in tests of the crew actions of the Soyuz TM spacecraft and Buran orbiter, development of the automated cosmonaut training systems. Participated in the launch preparation of the Soyuz TM spacecraft, Buran orbiter, reusable rocket-space complex Energia. He was engaged in the development of the docking assembly for the Buran orbiter. In 1985 he took part in training of the flight engineer group under the Buran program.
On March 3, 1992 by decision of the State Interdepartmental Committee he was selected as a cosmonaut candidate and on June 2, 1992 he was assigned to the RSC Energia cosmonaut detachment as the cosmonaut candidate.
From October 1, 1992 to February 1994 he passed a course of general space training which was interrupted because of the occurred necessity of additional medical examination at IBMP.
From May 20, 1994 to February 20, 1995 he passed the flight and parachute training, trained in neutral buoyancy, performed flights in weightlessness and undergone survival training; he completed the mentioned course of general space training, passed all examinations and tests and got qualification of a test cosmonaut.
On May 15, 1995 he was reassigned as a test cosmonaut to the cosmonaut detachment of RSC Energia.
On February 14, 1995 he was assigned to the second crew (PC-20) under the EuroMir-95 program and from February 20 to August 1995 he passed training as a flight engineer, together with G. Manakov and from April 1– with C.Fuglesang (ESA, Sweden).
On September 3, 1995 he was a back-up of the Soyuz TM-22 TSC flight engineer S. Avdeev.
From October 1995 to July 1996 he trained as a flight engineer of the first crew for the Soyuz TM-24 spacecraft under the PC-22/NASA-3/Cassiopeia program, together with G. Manakov, J.Blaha (USA) and C.Andre-Deshays (France).
On August 9, 1996 because of the illness of commander G. Manakov, the prime crew (except C.Andre-Deshays) was replaced by back-ups (V. Korzun and A. Kaleri).
From August 1996 to July 1997 he trained as a flight engineer of the prime crew under PC-24 program, together with Yu. Gidzenko and from October 1996 he trained with A. Soloviev.
On July 28, 1997 by decision of the State Interdepartmental Committee he was assigned as a flight engineer of the back-up crew for Expedition-3 (ISS-3), together with V. Korzun.
He performed the first space flight from August 5, 1997 to February 19, 1998 as a flight engineer of the Soyuz TM-26 spacecraft and Mir Orbital Complex under PC-24 program, together with A. Soloviev. He worked aboard the Station with V. Tsibliev, A. Lazutkin, T. Musabaev, N. Budarin and L. Eyharts and also with two visiting crews on Shuttles under STS-86 and STS-89 programs. During the flight he performed five spacewalks of the total duration of 29 hr 19 min. The mission duration was 197 days 17 hr 34 min 36 s.
On February 24, 1998 he was assigned as a flight engineer of the prime crew (ISS-5) and approved as a back-up of the ISS-3 flight engineer in the crew with V. Korzun.
From 1998 to February 1999 he passed training under ISS-3, -5 programs.
On February 3, 1999 by decision of RSA Board he was removed from the ISS crews and assigned as a flight engineer of the back-up crew (PC-28) and the prime crew (PC-29) for the Mir Orbital Station, together with S. Sharipov.
From March 1999 to March 2000 he trained as a flight engineer of the back-up crew (PC-28), together with S. Sharipov.
On April 4, 2000 he was a back-up of the Soyuz TM-30 TSC flight engineer A. Kaleri.
From June 5, 2000 he passed training under PC-29 program for the Mir Orbital Complex as the prime crew flight engineer, together with S. Sharipov.
From January 2004 up to now he is training for a space flight as commander of ISS-13 Expedition.

March 2006
By the data submitted by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and reference book «Soviet and Russian Cosmonauts, 1960-2000».