Hungary had the opportunity to take part in the Soviet Union’s international space research programme for peaceful purposes. Rigorous tests to evaluate medical, intellectual and psychological suitability preceded the selection of the cosmonauts. Among the 95 fighter pilots considered for the space mission, the two most suitable were Bertalan Farkas and Béla Magyari.
Based on the decision of the state committee, Bertalan Farkas and Valery Kubasov were chosen for the space flight. Soyuz 36 lifted off on 26 May 1980 and docked with the Salyut 6 space station, manned by V Ryumin and L Popov, on 27 May. The Soviet-Hungarian pair of cosmonauts returned to Earth in the re-entry capsule of Soyuz 35 on 3 June 1980.
The designs of the stamps of the commemorative miniature sheet show the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, the launch of Soyuz 36, the Salyut 6 space station and the returning cabin of Soyuz 35. On the first day cover, proceeding from left to right, Bertalan Farkas, Leonid Ivanovich Popov, Valery Victorovich Ryumin and Valery Nikolayevich Kubasov appear. The special postmark shows the moment the spacecraft lifted off.
Issue Date:03.06.2020 Designer:Barnabás Baticz Printer:ANY Biztonsági Nyomda Nyrt. Process:Offset Colours:4-Colour Size:142 x 68 mm
