Sergei Krikalev: The Man Who Went Up a Soviet And Came Down a Russian

(via Amusing Planet)  While Sergei Krikalev was busy conducting space walks and putting things in order 300 kilometers up in the sky, his nation was going through incredible political turmoil. In August 1991, a failed coup rocked the Soviet Union, which eventually lead to the breakup of the Union. Over the next few months, Soviet states began to secede away from the Union one at a time, declaring themselves independent nations. By December 26, 1991, the dissolution was complete. On March 25, 1992, after spending 311 days in orbit, Krikalev returned back to earth and to a nation that was very different to what it was when he had left.