Gagarin

Daily Worker 13 April 1961: ‘A communist in space’ From Dennis Ogden, Moscow There’s a hero’s welcome to end all hero’s welcomes waiting for 27-year-old pilot-astronaut Major Yuri Gagarin when he gets to Moscow on Friday morning. News of the “Chelovek v kosmos” – “The man in space” – flashed around the city at cosmic speed this morning. Crowds gathered at loudspeakers in squares and streets to hear the reports on his 108-minute flight in the 4.5-ton space ship called “Vostok”(“East”). Motorists in Gorky Street pulled in to the pavement and turned on their radios to let the people hear the latest news. A buzz of excitement and murmurs of “molodets” – “good fellow” – greeted the words that the flight was proceeding normally and that Major Gagarin felt fine. “Good luck to you and may you come back safely,” murmured a silver-haired old lady standing by my shoulder. Students of Moscow University interrupted their lectures and headed to Red Square, already thronged with people. They carried hurriedly written posters saying: “Glory to the Soviet spaceman.” When news winged through the city that the portrait of the first spaceman would be shown on television, people in the street knocked at the homes of strangers, eager to see the face of the hero. Then as the final triumphant news of Yuri Gagarin’s safe landing without even a bruise came through, the crowds gathered in Mayakovsky Square, broke into cheers and applause, the almost unbearable tension broken at last. As the whole Soviet Union went wild with joy, Moscow Radio dubbed Major Gagarin“the Columbus of inter-planetary space.” One woman said over and over again: “I am so glad.” The official Tass announcement ended a period of uncertainty arising from the clear indications that such a major space flight was imminent. “The landing went off normally; I feel fine and have no injuries or bruises,” was the message Major Gagarin, on his return from space, asked should be sent to Mr Kruschov. “Your flight turns a new page in the history of mankind’s conquest of space and fills the hearts of Soviet people with great joy and pride for their Socialist homeland,” the Soviet Prime Minister replied by telegram. “With all my heart I congratulate you on your happy return to earth after your journey in space. I embrace you. Till we meet soon in Moscow-N Kruschov,” the message ends. Soviet Air Force colleagues are hoping to provide a fighter escort for Major Gagarinwhen he arrives in Vnukovo airport. There are proposals for a giant celebration in Red Square later on Friday. A special edition of Pravda, normally a morning paper, was on the street today. News of today’s triumph over the forces of nature came in a series of Tass statements, the first broadcast at 10.20 a.m., Moscow time. “On April 12, 1961, the world’s first sputnik spaceship the Vostok, with a man on board, was placed in orbit in the Soviet Union,” proclaimed the ringing tones of Moscow radio’s chief announcer Yuri Levitan. “The pilot of the sputnik spaceship Vostok is a citizen of the Soviet Union, Air Force Major Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin.”