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Pavel Belyayev's Personal Pilot's Watch Worn on Historic Voskhod 2 Mission, with Note from His Widow Tatyana. ...
Description
Pavel Belyayev's Personal Pilot's Watch Worn on Historic Voskhod 2 Mission, with Note from His Widow Tatyana. A complete stainless steel wristwatch (strap missing) of the brand "ПОБЕДА" (Pobeda, which means "Victory"), first produced shortly after World War II to commemorate the Soviet victory. "1МЧЗ ИМ. КИРОВА" is the maker's mark, indicating it was manufactured by the Izhevsk Mechanical Watch Factory named after Kirov. This model was typical of high-quality Soviet issue during the late 1940s to mid-1950s and was presented to distinguished military officers such as Belyayev. The watch features a classic Soviet design with clear Arabic numerals and a small sub-dial for the seconds hand. The hands are gold-toned, contrasting with the light-colored dial. The back of the case is engraved "П. И. БЕЛЯЕВУ" (P. I. Belyaevu) translating to "To P. I. Belyayev." The watch remains mechanically intact exhibiting light handling wear consistent with age and use. It runs but timekeeping accuracy was not measured. No modern restoration observed. Case measures approximately 32mm diameter. Included is a handwritten note from his widow (Belyayev died in 1970) reading (translated): "Personal wrist watch of the USSR pilot-cosmonaut Belyaev P.I. of the "Pobeda" brand, with which he was in the victory cave. Tatyana Belyaeva 17.11.96".Launched March 18, 1965, Voskhod 2 carried Belyayev and Alexei Leonov into orbit for what became one of the most daring feats of the early space age. Under Belyayev's command, Leonov executed the first extravehicular activity in history, an operation nearly ending in disaster when Leonov's suit inflated, preventing re-entry. Belyayev's calm leadership and manual piloting during re-entry and off-course landing in the Ural wilderness were widely credited with saving the crew's lives.
Artifacts personally linked to Belyayev are exceedingly rare, as most Soviet space memorabilia remained under state control for decades. A personally engraved wristwatch of this nature, complete, preserved, and provenanced is an evocative reminder of a pivotal mission that expanded the limits of human spaceflight. From an important collection of Soviet-era Space history
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(Lots 50001-50227) - 10:00 AM Central Time, Thursday, December 11, 2025.
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Heritage Auctions
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