Korolev was born on January 12, 1907 in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. His mother, Maria Balania, had sole custody of Sergei, but she left him to live with his grandparents (1) while she attended university. When Korolev was six years old (8), he had the opportunity to see a plane flight in his town. Korolev was enchanted by the plane flight. The memory of this one flight stuck with Korolev his entire life, and helped provide inspiration that led to his barrier-breaking accomplishments.
Picture: St. Sophias church (61)