Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 9 and Soyuz 18 missions.

President of the Soviet Union Chess Federation from 1977 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1989.During the 1980s he was the host of a popular television program on space exploration entitled Man, Earth, Universe.

In 1993, he left the space programme and was elected to the State Duma in 1994.