It's not easy being a Russian cosmonaut. In the age of Mir and the International Space Station (ISS), contemporary space travelers can often spend months away from home, living in cramped quarters in less than ideal conditions.

But if a cosmonaut's life -- in orbit or in training -- is difficult, being a cosmonauts wife has its own set of problems. Women who have married cosmonauts often dont see their husbands for days, if not weeks -- and that's while they are still on Earth going through training. And few can sleep well while their husbands are drifting in the void, sealed in a tin can hundreds of miles above Earth.

In 1977, Olga Shapovalova met her future husband, cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko while they were still high school students.

"I almost immediately picked Yuri out of his classmates," Olga told SPACE.com. "I paid attention to him because he had always been much more persistent and goal-seeking than the other guys."

The couple married in 1984, after they graduated from their higher education schools -- Yuri from a flight school and Olga from a civil institute.

A veteran-cosmonaut, Gidzenko is the commander of the Soyuz spacecraft that brought the first full-time crew to the ISS. Gidzenko, along with crew members Sergei Krikalev (ISS flight engineer and four-time space veteran) and Bill Shepherd (ISS mission commander and three-time space veteran) will spend four months aboard the station.

After graduation from his high school, Yuri became a cadet at the aviation school. This decision brought Olga even closer to him.

"He was the only guy from our class to join the military and become a pilot at once," said Olga. "His persistence had been proved one more time by his decision to choose such a career. He had some medical problems that initially got in his way of becoming a pilot. But he eventually put them behind him and became a pilot."

"I remember quite well how he visited me during one of his vacations after his first year of pilots training," recalled Olga. "I developed such a high opinion of him that after he left I said to my mother: 'You know, mom, this boy can become a cosmonaut.'"

Yuri was only 19 at this time and Olga never believed her words would become a prophecy. Four years later, in 1986, Yuri Gidzenko enrolled in cosmonaut training.

When Yuri was officially offered the opportunity to become a cosmonaut, he asked Olga what she thought about the possibility. She told him: "Do whatever you think you should and Ill stand by you. Try it."

Olga and Yuri have two sons, Sasha 12, and Sergey 14. "I want them to look up to their father and be like him even if they dont become pilots or cosmonauts," said Olga.

While being a cosmonaut offers the prestige of being one of the few humans to leave the planet, monetary compensation for the job is a sour point for space flyers and their families.

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"I dont think that Yuri is[getting]decent compensation for his hellishly hard work," said Olga Gidzenko. "I believe that he deserves more both morally and materially."

Elena Krikalev agrees. "People who took smaller risks and spent less effort than cosmonauts make much more money," Elena said. "Russia currently does not have a fair salary hierarchy."

Sergei Krikalev first met Elena Terekhina in 1980, while they both worked as engineers at NPO Energia. Now called RKK Energia, the company is Russia's leading developer of spacecraft and space stations. The couple has a daughter, Olga. Though supportive of her husband, Elena admits to having mixed feelings about the ISS.

"I would like to believe in the ISS but overall I have mixed feelings about it," Elena said. "I believe that for us, the Russians, participation in the ISS program is just a waste of time, effort and resources since we are doing something that is very old news to us. The ISS is a little engineering step forward from Mir. If we developed some new spacecraft technology, such a step could be so much bigger."

Though Olga has more faith in the space station, she wishes Russia had a greater role in the project.

"It is disappointing that we are no longer in the "drivers seat" of the orbital outpost," noted Olga. "Of course we would like to keep Mir in orbit. However, since this cooperation has passed a point of no return, we can only hope that everything will go well. I hope that joint (American and Russian) flights will be productive and successful."

Cosmonauts involved in the ISS program also put extra stress on their families by leaving them for weeks at a time while they undergo training in the United States.

"In the beginning of Yuris preparation for his ISS mission it was very hard for me to cope with his long-term departures to the States," Olga said. "But it happened so often that I got used to it."

Elena shares Olgas opinion: "What wife would like to be separated from her husband for so long?" she said. "Like any wife, I dont like it when my husband is away from me for so long."

Eventually Olga got used to Yuris frequent business trips overseas. "This is his life style that he has to leave me once every three months," she said. "But I think that overall such trips are a hard burden for his family since I believe a father should always be near his kids. We have two sons. They may need him even more than I do."

Olga has traveled twice to the States, in 1997 and 1998, and enjoyed her stay, finding Americans to be a friendly, polite people.

"It is obvious that they have an easy life over there," she said. "They always say 'hi' to people even if they dont know them. I have no idea how sincere their smiles are, but it is nice to see smiling faces anyway."

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"Russians are not so friendly," admitted Olga. "Maybe because life in Russia is harder."

Yuri Gidzenkno's monthly salary is $250. It is still much higher than of many officers in Star City who make about $100 per month. Prices in the City are a little bit lower though, and when Yuri is preparing for a mission he gets free meals.

Sergey Krikalevs salary at RKK Energia is about the same.

Gidzenkos eldest son, Sergei, is studying in a paid college. Almost half of Yuris salary is spent on his tuition.

"We are able to maintain decent way of life for our family thanks to the money which Yuri makes on contracts while flying in space," said Olga.

The Gidzenkos live in a three-bedroom apartment supplied to them free by Star City authorities. Its total area is 700 square feet (65 square meters). Krikalevs family lives in a three-story townhouse approximately three times as big as the Gidzenkos' apartment. It also includes a garage.

Olga Gidzenko also works in Star City, but makes considerably less than her husband.

She said she doesn't work for the money, mostly she works to keep herself occupied and in communication with colleagues, especially when her husband is away.

Despite the hardships of modern, post-Communist life in Star City, Olga supports to her husbands work.

"Of course, we are very worried about Yuri flying in space. But my children and I are really proud of what he is doing. It is an extremely sophisticated and necessary profession" she said. "Russia is currently going through a very difficult time when right and wrong sometimes shift places. I am sure, however, that my husband is doing the right thing. This is something what Russia really needs. I have no doubt about that."

 Besides, said Elena "cosmonauts are very clever, smart and heroic people. It is fun for me to be among them."