valeri ivanovich tokarev (), russian air force colonel and test cosmonaut at the yuri a. gagarin cosmonaut training center, was born october 29, 1952 in the town of kap-yar, astrakhan oblast and currently resides at star city, moscow region. he has traveled to space twice and has performed two career spacewalks. he retired on june 10, 2008. ==personal== tokarev was born october 29, 1952 in the town of kap-yar, astrakhan region resides at star city, moscow region. he is married to irina nikolayevna (tokareva). they have two children: a daughter, olya, and a son, ivan. his mother, lidiya nikolayevna (tokareva), lives in the city of rostov, yaroslavl region. his father, ivan pavlovich, died in an auto accident in 1972. valeri tokarev enjoys nature, automobiles, airplanes, and game sports. ==education== in 1973 tokarev graduated from stavropol higher military aviation school for pilots and navigators. in 1982 he completed with honours his studies at the test pilot training center (tptc) in ahtubinsk. in 1989-1993 he studied by correspondence at the yu. a. gagarin military air academy in monino. in 1996-1997 tokarev studied at the national economy academy under the russian federation government, full-time/correspondence tuition and received a master's degree in state administration. ==awards== tokarev was awarded the "hero of the russian federation" medal in 2000, pilot cosmonaut of the russian federation title in 1999, the gold star medal of the hero of the russian federation, order for service to motherland in the ussr air forces third class 
1952_births Crew_members_of_the_International_Space_Station Heroes_of_the_Russian_Federation Living_people Russian_cosmonauts