Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight, became the first person to journey into outer space. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961, with his flight taking 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including his country's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union.

spaceflight of the Vostok programme

city and administrative center of Gagarinsky District of Smolensk Oblast in central Russia

Russian holiday

Klushino () is a village in Smolensk Oblast (Western Oblast before 1937), Russia. It is situated on the old road between Vyazma and Mozhaysk, not far from Gzhatsk (now named Gagarin), and it was the site of a major battle during the Polish–Russian War of 1609–1618.

holiday to commemorate space exploration

1968 jet fighter crash in the USSR

wife of Yuri Gagarin (1935-2020)

art historian and director of the Moscow Kremlin Museums