OREANDA-NEWS  Anton Shkaplerov, who recently left the Russian cosmonaut detachment, received the second Gagarin Order in history, the corresponding decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin was published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

"For the great contribution to the development of manned cosmonautics and the courage shown during the long-term space flight on the International Space Station, to award the Order of Gagarin Shkaplerov Anton Nikolaevich," the text of the decree says.

It is clarified that Shkaplerov now holds the position of deputy head of the department of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (CPC).

The Order of Gagarin was approved at the suggestion of Roscosmos in 2023. The award is given for merits in the field of space. The first female cosmonaut of the planet received the Order of Gagarin (she flew in 1963), State Duma deputy Valentina Tereshkova.