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Yuri Gagarin Remembered on Birthday

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Yuri Gagarin Remembered on Birthday


09.03.2011

On March 9, 2011, Yuri Gagarin would have turned 77.  Yuri Gagarin (March 9, 1934 – March 27, 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut who on April 12, 1961 became the first human to journey into outer space, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reports.

Yuri Gagarin was born in the village of Klushino near Gzhatsk (Smolensk region of Russia). The adjacent town of Gzhatsk was renamed Gagarin in 1968 in his honor. Celebrations will take place today all over the world.

Of course, the native town of the first cosmonaut will host several events on March 9.  These include Gagarin’s Forum, with many delegates and reports on space exploration issues. The Forum will work till March 12.

Gagarin’s United Museum plans to open an exhibition devoted to the first space mission. Official delegation of Russian Federal Space Agency led by Alexey Krasnov, Head of Roscosmos Human Spaceflight Directorate, will take part in commemorative events in Gagarin.

“A major part of the exposition of our museum is composed of document, photographs and memories of those who were involved in the flight of the first cosmonaut,” said Maria Stepanova, director of the museum. “We also have rarities – a training chair and aerospace chamber (weighing more than seven tons) in which the first cosmonauts trained, geodesic equipment used in building the Baikonur launch site and much more – over 15,000 items.”

Today in Moscow an auto-rally begins on Vladimirsky Spusk near Red Square. Participants will include Russian and foreign cosmonauts of various generations as well as those on the design and research side of space exploration. Members of the Russian parliament and business leaders will also be joining the ride. The event will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the burial site of Yuri Gagarin on Red Square. Celebratoy events are also planned in the US and Europe.

Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service

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