Cosmonaut Volkov tomato is a wonderfully acidic balanced variety with an interesting story. Albeit Tomato 'Cosmonaut Volkov' was considered a Ukrainian heirloom, it was selected by Russian space engineer Mikhailovich Maslov from his garden. As he thought it one of the best from his garden, he named it after his fallen comrade Vladislav Volkov. Volkov was one of three Russian astronauts who perished in the Soyuz 11 upon reentry from the first visit to the Earth's first space station. The accident occurred on 30 June 1971. To date, the three crew members of Soyuz 11 are the only humans to have died in space. Tomato 'Cosmonaut Volkov' commemorates this historic event.