The Cosmonautics Day

On 12 April 1961, the Vostok rocket was launched into space, carrying into the Earth orbit the Soviet spacecraft with Yuri Gagarin on board. This marked the first manned space flight! The path to the stars and the exploration of outer space was opened.

Today, we proudly recall the heroic achievement of our compatriot Yuri Gagarin. Around the world, 12 April is celebrated as the International Day of Human Space Flight (proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011), and in our country, it is commemorated as the Cosmonautics Day.

We are certain that the thirst for knowledge and discoveries will continue to drive mankind toward new heights. It is important that the whole world, including Europe, should realize that space has to be explored exclusively for peaceful and scientific purposes.