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  Thieves steal from cosmonaut Leonov's home

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Author Topic:   Thieves steal from cosmonaut Leonov's home
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-08-2008 05:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Russian-language news agencies are reporting that over the weekend, thieves broke into cosmonaut Alexei Leonov's home near Star City and stole a great deal of his artwork and career memorabilia, according to his wife Svetlana.

Different press accounts put the value at $30,000 to $100,000.

Journalist James Oberg reports, "His large home is in the secure area of well-known 'cosmonaut dachas'. A picture of the house will be familiar to some."

Leonov remains in the cardiological clinic of the Burdenko Hospital in Moscow. Last week he underwent a 'coronograph', an imaging angiogram using tracers to characterize his heart's condition. Leonov entered the hospital after learning of the death of his sister.

KSCartist
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Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 09-08-2008 05:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for KSCartist   Click Here to Email KSCartist     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There is a special place in hell for those who would do this. I hope they are caught and punished to the full extent of the law.

I also hope that when this property is eventually offered for sale it will be reported and the seller prosecuted.

Tim

gliderpilotuk
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Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-08-2008 07:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Disgusting.

paulushumungus
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Posts: 466
From: Burton, Derbyshire, England
Registered: Oct 2005

posted 09-08-2008 07:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for paulushumungus   Click Here to Email paulushumungus     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
GOOD GRIEF!!! - Talk about kicking a man (hero) when he's down. Absolute complete and utter low life scum. Lets hope that the same is lined up for them when it's their turn to endure bad times in their life.

spacecraft films
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Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-08-2008 07:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacecraft films   Click Here to Email spacecraft films     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A particularly despicable criminal practice.Thieves routinely peruse the obits and funeral announcements (and in Leonov's case, the news, I suppose) for targets.

My son has a friend (10 yo) who lost his father about a year ago. While the family was away at the funeral someone broke into their house and stole everything of value but the furniture. Apparently this is a pretty common practice.

Nasty folk.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-08-2008 08:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If this story has a saving grace, it is now being reported that some of Leonov's memorabilia is still in his possession, having been locked away.
The cosmonaut's state awards, which were locked in a vault, were not stolen.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-08-2008 11:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Further details now suggest that the thieves may have randomly chosen Leonov's house rather than targeting the home of a cosmonaut.
In her own room Svetlana Pavlovna did not find the two sets of earrings (including a gift of her spouse), and five fur coats disappeared from the closet.

The thieves were acting rather strange, said the police. They grabbed, for example, earrings, yet other jewelry which was lying nearby, was not touched. Most likely, they were looking for money. But they did not find any (the owners do not keep it in their home). That's why they grabbed what they came across. By the way, the burglars did not touch even the awards of Alexei Leonov. In total, damage amounted to about one million rubles, but it is still subject to corrections.

In search of money thieves swirled through the entire home. Even in the kitchen they pulled out and strewed about there packets with meat. And then they descended to the basement, which the family uses as a garage. There were unlocked cars - a brand new Mercedes and Land Cruiser Prada. But the otherwise-aimed assailants were not interested.

Detectives inspecting the house found a broken lattice and an abandoned burglar jimmy. Alas, there were no fingerprints on it - the tool, as it turned out, they held with work gloves. Detectives immediately suspected that the theft might involve local builders who two months ago changed heating boilers in the home. But they do not seem to be in on it - Leonov and his wife trusted these people unconditionally.

Now the search for assailants continues. Incidentally, according to detectives, home owners have significantly facilitated the thieves "work". In the mansion there are no alarms, video cameras, while at the entrance to the cottage settlement the police are not on guard.

As it turned out, residents (among them, the first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova) have several times refused break-in protection services. So the bold thieves climbed into the house of Leonov (most likely crossed over the fence) and apparently fled in the woods adjacent to it.

What they took (a partial list):

  • Gray-blue fur coat norkovaya (4 years old wearing) - 40 thousand rubles
  • Norkovaya black fur coat (1-2 years of wearing) - 40 thousand rubles
  • Norkovaya brown fur coat, cut (also wearing) - 60 thousand rubles
  • From pestsa fur coat, white - 25 thousand rubles
  • White pelerina - 30 thousand rubles
  • Gold earrings with diamonds and sapphires, with pearls on a circle (10 mm diameter circle.)

ShuttleDiscovery
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Posts: 152
From:
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 09-08-2008 12:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ShuttleDiscovery     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's horrible!

Hope they catch them..

machbusterman
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Posts: 1778
From: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Registered: May 2004

posted 09-08-2008 02:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for machbusterman   Click Here to Email machbusterman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It just goes to show that scum exist in all walks of life. This is terrible news for the Leonov family... and at a time when they could do without the added stress.

Hopefully the thieves will be caught and the artifacts recovered safely. This will be widely reported in Russia so hopefully if someone is offered one of Leonov's pieces they will report it to the authorities.

- Derek

Rick Mulheirn
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Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 09-08-2008 04:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think it safe to say....if the culprits are caught justice will be far more severe than might be expected from more "enlightened" western states particularly given the iconic status of a national hero.

UK sentencing authorities please take note!

Regards,

Rick

TRS
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Posts: 721
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 09-10-2008 03:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for TRS   Click Here to Email TRS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am so saddened to hear this. Words fail me...

Craig

heng44
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Posts: 3386
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 09-10-2008 03:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for heng44   Click Here to Email heng44     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can't help but wonder how they knew he was in the hospital. Probably because of the press coverage. I also fail to see the news value of publishing a photo of Leonov's home; makes it easier to identify for the sort of scum who do these things...

Ed

Henk Boshuijer
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Posts: 450
From: Netherlands
Registered: May 2007

posted 09-10-2008 01:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Henk Boshuijer   Click Here to Email Henk Boshuijer     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I really hope these criminals will be arrested and get severely punished.

Henk Boshuijer

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