Sergey Korolyov: Encyclopedia II - Sergey Korolyov - Early life

Sergey Korolyov - Early life

Korolev was born in Zhytomyr, a small provincial center in central Ukraine, then part of Imperial Russia. His parents, Maria Nikolaevna Moskalenko and Pavel Yakovlevich, had wed in an arranged marriage and the union was not a happy one. Three years after his birth the couple separated due to financial difficulties. Sergei was informed by his mother that his father had died at the time, and only later learned that Pavel had lived until 1929. The two never met after the family break-up, although Pavel later wrote to Maria to request a meeting of his son.

Sergei grew up in Nizhyn (Nezhin), under the care of his grandparents. His mother had wanted an advanced education, and so was frequently away taking courses in Kiev. Sergei grew up a lonely child with few friends, but he proved a good student, especially in mathematics. In 1916 his mother married Grigory Mikhailovich Balanin, an electrical engineer, and Grigory proved a good influence on the child. Grigory moved the family to Odessa in 1917, after getting a job with the regional railway.

The year 1918 was tumultuous in Russia, with the close of the World War and the ongoing Russian Revolution. The internecine struggles continued until the Soviets assumed power in 1920. During this period the local schools were closed and young Sergei had to continue his studies at home. In 1919 there were severe food shortages, and Sergei suffered from a bout of typhus. Even after this the family suffered through hard times, as did much of the remainder of the nation.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Early life", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki