Georgi M. Grechko was a prominent Soviet cosmonaut born on December 25, 1931, in the city of Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg. He flew on three space missions, including Soyuz 17 in 1975, where he spent 14 days in space, and Soyuz 26 in 1977, which was part of the Salyut 7 space station program. Grechko was also an accomplished engineer and scientist, contributing to various space exploration projects. He was awarded several honors for his work, including the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, recognizing his significant contributions to the field of space travel.