Konstantin Gerchik

Konstantin Vasilyevich Gerchik (Russian: Константин Васильевич Герчик, September 27, 1918 – June 24, 2001) was a Russian military officer who served in the Red Army and a program manager in former Soviet space program.

He was Colonel-General of the Soviet Army, Professor of the Academy of Military Sciences of Russia, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, and the second head of the Baikonur Cosmodrome (1958–1961).

Gerchik was born on 27 September 1918 and in the village of Soroki (Slutsky Uyezd, Minsk).

On October 24 1960 in the time of the accident at the 41 site of the spaceport, Gerchik together with his Deputy, Alexander Mrykhin, a Lieutenant general subsequently a Hero of Socialist Labour was in the vicinity of the outbreak missiles R-16.

After the incident, General Gerchik was in critical conditions, but survived, then for a long time he was treated in hospitals.