President awards Dostyk order to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov (PHOTO)
ZHEZKAZGAN. KAZINFORM - Sergey Volkov - commander of Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft, who had returned to Earth after nearly half-yearly space mission, was awarded II-degree Dostyk order.
Talgat Mussabayev - Advisor to the President, at the request of Nursultan Nazarbayev has handed over "Dostyk" states order ("Friendship") of 2nd degree to Roskosmos cosmonaut Sergey Volkov. Mr. Volkov was awarded the state award of the Republic of Kazakhstan for making a significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Kazakhstan and Russia.
Kazakh President's decree was issued December 3, 2015. At that time Mr. Volkov was on the International Space Station. It bears to remind that Dostyk orders of 1st degree were also awarded to Director General of the state corporation "Roscosmos" Igor Komarov and Chief of Cosmonaut Training Center named after Yuri Gagarin Yuri Lonchakov. 2nd-degree Dostyk order was also awarded to another Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka.
As it was previously reported, March 2 Soyuz TMA-18M manned spacecraft landed in Karaganda region near Zhezkazgan.