Biography of Yuri Gagarin. Life and dare. When Gagarin was born and died, memorable places and dates. Interesting facts, family. Astronaut quotes, photos and videos.
Years of life of Yuri Gagarin:
born March 9, 1934, died March 27, 1968
Epitaph
“The Earth is empty without you...
If you can, come quickly..."
From the song “Tenderness” to lyrics by Sergei Grebennikov and Nikolai Dobronravov
“In the forests beyond Vladimir there are hundred-year-old pines,
And the gloomy sun rises in the morning...
There will be no, there will be no last flight -
People remember your first flight."
From the song “Gagarin’s Constellation” to lyrics by Nikolai Dobronravov
He was chosen for the role the world's first astronaut not only thanks to her beautiful physical training and knowledge of technology, but also a sociable, open character and a wide smile. Indeed, if successful, this man was destined to represent his country throughout the world. Gagarin is not only fulfilled his assigned mission, but also became a real hero for the inhabitants of the whole planet, a symbol of a purposeful, honest person with with a broad soul. The story of Yuri Gagarin is the success story of a real hero.
It began as the story of a very ordinary boy. He was born in Gzhatsk, into a simple village family. After the war, having survived the German occupation, he returned to school, graduated from a vocational school, and then entered a technical school in Saratov. At the same time, he began studying at the Saratov flying club - the young man did not even know then that this hobby would radically change Gagarin’s biography. While serving in the army, he already qualified as a 1st class military pilot.
In 1957 future cosmonaut got married wife of Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Goryacheva, has always been a close friend and colleague of her husband. Born into this marriage children of Yuri Gagarin - daughters Elena and Galina. Gagarin’s eldest daughter Elena today works as the director of the Moscow Kremlin State Museum-Reserve; she recalls that her father was always interested in their studies, and also took the children outside every morning in any weather to do exercises. Yuri Gagarin always devoted a lot of time and love to his family, despite how much energy it took him first to prepare for the flight into space, and then to numerous responsibilities in the role the world's first cosmonaut.
Yuri Gagarin - the world's first cosmonaut
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin spent 108 minutes in space. As it became known later, the USSR government had prepared three official messages - in the event of the death of a cosmonaut, in the event of a failed flight and in the event of a successful one. The flight was successful, albeit with some minor problems, which the astronaut endured steadfastly.
After the flight, Yuri Gagarin became a global personality. Endless diplomatic missions and visits became an integral part of Gagarin’s life, taking up time and energy. At some point, Gagarin even began to get better, as he almost stopped training, but soon began to prepare for the next flight, this time to the Moon, and returned to shape. But, alas, Yuri Gagarin’s next flights into space were not destined to happen.
Gagarin died on March 27, 1968 in a plane crash during a training flight. Gagarin's death came instantly and became a huge loss for the astronaut’s family and the whole country. A special commission was created to study the cause of Gagarin's death in the disaster; the details of the report, which amounted to 29 volumes, were classified for a long time until the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight. The crash occurred as a result of a sharp maneuver of the aircraft, which in bad weather conditions led to the aircraft getting into a spiral and crashing. Yuri Gagarin's death was instantaneous.
It was announced throughout the country national mourning- for the first time in the history of the USSR in connection with the death of a non-head of state. Funeral of Yuri Gagarin and Vladimir Seregin, the instructor of the cosmonaut who died with him, took place on March 28. Gagarin's grave located near the Kremlin wall - urns containing the ashes of the cremated remains of Gagarin and Seryogin were buried there. Many awards, books, works, paintings, even song cycles were dedicated to Gagarin’s memory. Cenotaph monuments to Yuri Gagarin are installed throughout the country.
Life line
March 9, 1934 Date of birth of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
September 1949 Admission to Lyubertsy vocational school No. 10.
August 1951 Admission to the Saratov Industrial College.
October 25, 1954 Joining the Saratov flying club.
1955 The first solo flight on a Yak-18 aircraft.
October 27, 1955 Conscription into the army, assignment to military aviation school pilots.
October 25, 1957 Graduation from school.
October 27, 1957 Marriage to Valentina Goryacheva.
April 17, 1959 Birth of daughter Elena.
March 25, 1960 Beginning of classes in the cosmonaut training program.
March 7, 1961 Birth of daughter Galina.
April 12, 1961 The first flight into space in human history.
April 15, 1961 Receiving the title of hero Soviet Union.
September 1, 1961 Admission to the Air Force Engineering Academy.
1964 Appointment of Gagarin as deputy head of the Cosmonaut Training Center and commander of the detachment of Soviet cosmonauts.
February 17, 1968 Defense of a diploma at the academy, obtaining the qualification “pilot-engineer-cosmonaut”.
March 27, 1968 Date of death of Gagarin.
March 30, 1968 Funeral of Yuri Gagarin.
Memorable places
1. The city of Gagarin (formerly Gzhatsk), where Gagarin was born.
2. Lyubertsy Polytechnic College named after. Yu. Gagarin (formerly Lyubertsy vocational school No. 10), from which Gagarin graduated.
3. Monument to Yuri Gagarin in Lyubertsy next to the school where he studied.
4. Saratov State Vocational Pedagogical College named after Yu. A. Gagarin (former Saratov Industrial College), from which Gagarin graduated.
5. Orenburg Higher Military Aviation Red Banner Pilot School
named after I.S. Polbin, where Gagarin studied.
6. Baikonur Cosmodrome, from where the Vostok spacecraft launched with Gagarin on board.
7. Air Force Academy named after Yu. A. Gagarin and Professor N. E. Zhukovsky, which Gagarin graduated from.
8. Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City (now the Scientific Research Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training named after Yu. A. Gagarin), where Gagarin served as deputy head.
9. Museum-apartment of Yuri and Valentina Gagarin in Orenburg, the house of Valentina Gagarina, where she lived with her parents and where her wedding with Yuri took place.
10. Necropolis near the Kremlin wall, where Gagarin is buried.
Episodes and interesting facts of life
After Gagarin's successful flight, it became known to everyone now Gagarin's catchphrase “Let's go!”, with which he went into space. But for a long time almost no one mentioned another quote from Gagarin: “I’m burning, goodbye, comrades!”. He said it while the ship was passing through the dense layers of the atmosphere during descent, being sure that the ship was on fire and he would soon die.
Shortly before his death, on March 12, Gagarin wrote in his diary: “I have no stronger desire than the desire to fly. The pilot must fly. Always fly".
Testaments and quotes of Yuri Gagarin
- Go!
“The main strength in a person is the strength of spirit.”
“Having flown around the Earth in a satellite ship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, and not destroy it.”
Condolences
“The name of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin forever entered the history of mankind. It is written in golden letters in the chronicle of the greatest conquests on the difficult path of studying and conquering the forces of nature, and has become a symbol of the power of the human mind, courage and innovation. It will never be forgotten that Yuri Gagarin was the first to set off on an unknown path into the vast expanses of the Universe and with his daring feat opened the era of space exploration.”
A. Kirilenko, Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee
“He was always distinguished by selfless courage, exceptional hard work, perseverance in achieving his goals, and a tireless pursuit of knowledge. Gagarin’s feat was a tremendous contribution to science; it opened a new era in the history of mankind - the beginning of human space flights, the road to interplanetary communications.”
M. Keldysh, President of the USSR Academy of Sciences
“An experienced pilot, a skilled commander, our Yura was a charming person. His modesty, simplicity, sensitivity, his composure and unyielding will earned him the sincere love and deep respect of all who knew him. At this moment of farewell to our comrade and friend, the words from “Song of the Falcon” by Alexei Maksimovich Gorky come to mind: “Let you die! But in the song of the brave and strong in spirit you will always be a living example, a call to the proud to freedom, to light.”
A. Nikolaev, cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin is a Soviet pilot whose biography everyone knows from school. Gagarin is the man who made the first flight into space. The pilot-cosmonaut became a model and a legend not only for residents of the USSR, he is an honorary citizen of foreign cities and an international public figure. Yuri Alekseevich opened a new page in space exploration and became a symbol of the development of Soviet science and aviation.
Childhood
Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934 in the village of Klushino, in the Western region of the USSR, into a family of wealthy peasants. The boy was the third of four children. Yura's childhood was calm and joyful, his father and mother paid him a lot of attention. Alexey Ivanovich, the head of the family, did a lot of wood crafts and was happy to introduce children to this.
At the age of 6, Yura went to school, but only managed to finish first grade before the Great War began. Patriotic War. German troops captured part of the territory of the USSR, they also reached Klushino, so the work of many government agencies, including schools, stopped. Becoming famous person, Yuri preferred never to remember the dark times of the occupation. It is known that German soldiers kicked the Gagarin family out of their home and, retreating, took the youth with them as prisoners of war. This is how his brother and sister were taken away.
In 1943, Klushino was released, and soon after the end of the war, the Gagarins moved to Gzhatsk, where the boy continued his studies. Yuri was a very capable and inquisitive young man, engaged in many activities, ranging from music to photography.
After Gagarin finished 6th grade, he decided to move to Moscow, as he felt too cramped in a small city. His parents tried to dissuade the ambitious young man, but were unable to do so. So, in 1949, 15-year-old Yuri Gagarin moved to the capital.
The teenager lived with relatives, studied at a vocational school, while simultaneously completing the seventh grade program at a school for working youth. At the same time, young Gagarin became interested in basketball and soon became the captain of the team. In 1951, the young man moved to Saratov, where he began studying at an industrial technical school. During his studies, Yuri's first acquaintance with the sky took place.
In 1954, Gagarin joined the aviation enthusiasts' club, where reports were read from the founding fathers of astronautics. After listening to the calculations, the young man simply fell in love with the idea of flying beyond the Earth, although he could hardly imagine then how his passion would turn out. IN next year Gagarin graduated from college; at the same time, the young man continued to be a member of the aviation enthusiasts club and had already managed to independently perform several flights on a small training aircraft.
A few months after the future cosmonaut completed his studies, he was called up for military service at the military aviation school in Chkalov. There Gagarin had a serious conflict that almost cost him young man life. Gagarin, appointed assistant platoon commander, was extremely strict in terms of discipline, which, of course, did not suit his fellow students. One night he was caught and severely beaten, after which the young man spent a month in the hospital before he was able to return to duty. It is noteworthy that this incident did not break the fighting spirit at all; it did not change the attitude towards the wards.
Cadet Gagarin easily coped with any task except landing the plane. The device was constantly nodding off, and due to the fact that the requirements for students were extremely strict, it was decided to expel Gagarin.
The young man, who could not imagine his life without heaven, was preparing to give up his career, but at that moment the head of the school, who was haunted by mysterious failures best student, drew attention to the guy’s small stature and suggested that it was because of this that he had problems with the viewing angle during landing. Gagarin was given one more chance, and before the flight they put a pad on the seat that increased the height of the seat. The assumption turned out to be correct.
In 1957, Yuri Gagarin graduated from college and began serving in the Murmansk region.
Cosmonautics
In 1959, Gagarin rose to the rank of senior lieutenant, receiving the rank of military pilot 1st class. At the same time, a resolution was enshrined at the state level on the search and selection of candidates for flights beyond the Earth. Having heard about this, the pilot wrote a report to management, in which he asked to be included as a candidate.
The selection was not based on skills or merit; he supervised the checks and primarily looked at the physical characteristics of the applicants. The first rockets were limited in size and carrying capacity. Growth, which almost cost the pilot his career, this time became Yuri’s lucky ticket. The young man was 165 cm tall (according to some sources, 157 cm), and the weight of the future cosmonaut was 68 kg - if Gagarin had been larger, he might not have fit in the spacecraft.
After numerous checks, Gagarin was approved as one of 20 proposed future cosmonauts. In March 1960, the pilot began training.
Despite the fierce competition, Gagarin managed to win the sympathy of even his rivals. A reliable, strong and benevolent young man did not envy anyone, did not consider anyone better or worse than himself, and this was evident from his behavior and manner of speech. The astronaut easily took the initiative, worked hard and with pleasure.
Gagarin adored the sky and devoted himself entirely to his studies; he simply did not have time for anything else. As a result, according to an anonymous question conducted among cosmonaut candidates, the majority named Gagarin as the person most suitable for the first flight into space. Despite the fact that the pilot was not a leader in any field of training, based on his combination of skills, character traits and psychological stability, he was recognized as ideally suited for traveling into space.
Candidate selection
In 1961, due to rivalry with the United States, the need arose to finally decide on a candidate as soon as possible and to fly at the latest at the beginning of the second ten days of April. Then information appeared that on April 20 it was planned to launch an American rocket with a person on board. Among the three proposed leaders, Gagarin was chosen as the first cosmonaut; this happened at the very last moment, less than a month before the flight. approved as a spare.
The question of why Gagarin, and not Titov, became the first man in space worries history buffs to this day. In Korolev’s notes there is a note that Titov is more prepared than Gagarin, but at the decisive moment the second was chosen. One theory says that political factors interfered with the choice. The first cosmonaut was destined to become a symbol: Yuri, who had an exemplary Slavic appearance and a clean biography of the whole family, seemed to the authorities more suitable for the role of a representative of the Soviet cosmonautics.
Another theory states that Titov was more important to the project, so they did not want to risk him on the first flight. Already at this time he was approved for the second. At the same time, work was carried out on long-term stay in space. German Titov seemed to Korolev suitable for spending a whole day outside of Earth.
Another theory says that Korolev personally chose Gagarin. The media claim that Yuri became the boss’s favorite after the only one preparatory group responded to the offer to sit in the Vostok satellite ship when the ship was first shown to the group.
According to the cosmonaut’s mother, Yuri passed some kind of unofficial exam arranged by Korolev.
The designer could not choose one from five similar pilots. The men had almost the same height and weight, and military rank. All except Captain Komarov served as senior lieutenants. Korolev held personal conversations with the candidates, asking tricky question about the centrifuge. Gagarin honestly stated that he felt bad in this test and even hated the centrifuge. The remaining candidates reported that the preparation was going well. So Yuri passed the honesty test. For Korolev and the base command, it was of paramount importance that the cosmonaut could openly talk about all the problems and mistakes during the flight, and not improvise and keep his face.
Journalists and researchers also admit that the very question of why Gagarin became the first man in space is incorrect, since Yuri was not one. In 1993, M. Rudenko and N. Varvarov published the names of three pilots in the newspaper Air Transport. According to journalists, pilot Ledovskikh died during a suborbital flight in 1957, Shaborin in 1958, and Mitkov in 1959. The experiments remained classified, and in 1960 pilots were selected for the cosmonaut training program. Not a single employee of the space industry disputed the article in a specialized newspaper.
First flight to space
The flight on the Vostok ship was fraught with enormous risks for Gagarin's life. Due to the rush, some were not duplicated important systems, the ship was not equipped with a soft landing system, and an emergency rescue system was not even created in case of problems during launch. The chance that the first cosmonaut would die without ever getting into the air was very high.
On April 12, 1961, the aircraft took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Due to equipment problems, Gagarin climbed 100 kilometers higher than originally planned. If there were problems with the braking system, the astronaut would have to return to Earth for more than a month, while the supply of water and food was designed for only 10 days.
Despite numerous problems, Yuri Gagarin descended safely from the atmosphere. His device did not land where planned. The astronaut was taken to the nearest village, and from there Yuri called his superiors with a report about the successful landing and the absence of injuries. Since the flight was secret, even the Soviet media learned about the technological breakthrough of their native state only the next day.
World fame
As soon as the information became available, Gagarin turned into a worldwide star. This was greatly facilitated by his insistence on a worthy reception for the hero. On April 14, 1961, a grand celebration took place in honor of the astronaut.
A month later, Gagarin was sent abroad with the Peace Mission, where he was to visit more than 20 countries, working, among other things, in a diplomatic manner. In all these trips, Gagarin established himself as a tactful and charming young man. Yuri's personal charisma contributed greatly to strengthening the positive image of the USSR.
For the next few years, Yuri Gagarin was mainly engaged in social activities, with almost no flying service. The famous cosmonaut put a lot of effort into popularizing astronautics, and he himself was preparing to become a member of the lunar space crew. Major Gagarin also entered the Air Force Engineering Academy, which he graduated a month before his death.
Personal life
In 1957, Yuri Gagarin married Valentina Goryacheva, an employee of the Medical Directorate at the Mission Control Center.
In this marriage, the couple had two daughters: Lena - in 1959, and Galina was born a month before her father’s legendary flight in March 1961. Yuri always found time for children. The cosmonaut and his daughters loved animals, so ducks, chickens, squirrels and a doe lived in the Gagarins’ house. The pilot's wife resisted the zoo hobby, but later came to terms with it.
After the death of her husband, Valentina Goryacheva never married again.
After the death of the pilot, grandchildren appeared in the Gagarin family: Elena had a daughter, Ekaterina, and Galina had a son, Yuri. The cosmonaut’s granddaughter decided to become an art critic, and her grandson decided to connect his life with government administration.
Death
On March 27, 1968, Gagarin was performing a training flight and, for unknown reasons, performed a maneuver from which he could not recover. The plane crashed into the ground, Gagarin and his instructor Vladimir Seregin died. The pilots' bodies were cremated, and urns with ashes were buried in the Kremlin wall.
One of possible reasons The tragedy is called the approach and sharp evasion of another aircraft, as a result of which Gagarin’s MiG-15UTI went into a tailspin. Due to incorrect data on weather conditions and instrument readings, the pilots simply did not have time to bring the plane out of the crash. Long years the truth remained unknown.
The lack of a coherent official explanation gave rise to speculation and theories about the cause of death of the first cosmonaut. Conspiracy theories have gained popularity. There were rumors that Gagarin had a conflict with the leadership, after which the cosmonaut was either “removed”, or his death was faked and the pilot was arrested, or Gagarin himself faked his own death and escaped. Another theory says that Gagarin died while testing a new rocket, and the training flight covered up the traces of a failed experiment. space program.
In 2013, the cosmonaut shared declassified information about Gagarin's last flight with the press. The above version was completely confirmed. Inexplicably, an SU-15 fighter appeared next to Gagarin and Seregin’s plane, which, with its flow, drove the MiG-15UTI into a spiral. The pilots died before they could bring the plane out of the crash.
- Before Gagarin's flight into space, TASS prepared three messages: in case of a successful flight, unsuccessfully, and in case of landing outside the territory of the USSR.
- The legendary phrase "Well, let's go!" is a quote from Dickens.
- All Soviet schoolchildren knew the call sign of the first man in space - “Kedr”.
- In Great Britain, the Queen invited the cosmonaut to tea, and then took a photo next to Gagarin as a souvenir, which violated protocol. The Queen explained her action by saying that the astronaut is no longer an earthly person, but a heavenly one, so there is nothing offensive to the royal person in taking a photo with him.
Filmography
- This is how the legend began
- Gagarin. First in space
April 12, 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the first human flight into space. Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut on Earth.
The first pilot cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934 in the village of Klushino, Gzhatsky (now Gagarinsky) district, Smolensk region.
Parents are hereditary Smolensk peasants and collective farmers. Father - Alexey Ivanovich Gagarin, mother Anna Timofeevna Gagarina. In 1941, Yuri Gagarin began studying at high school settled in Klushino, but her studies were interrupted by the war. After the end of the war, the Gagarin family moved to Gzhatsk (now Gagarin), where Yuri continued his studies.
After graduating from sixth grade, he entered a vocational school in the town of Lyubertsy near Moscow and the Lyubertsy evening school for working youth.
In 1951, he graduated from the seventh grade and graduated from a vocational school with honors, receiving the specialty of a foundry molder. In the same year, he continued his studies at the Saratov Industrial College, which he graduated in 1955. As a technical school student, he entered the flying club, after which he forever connected his life with aviation.
In 1955, Yuri Gagarin was drafted into the ranks Soviet army and was sent to the city of Orenburg to study at the 1st Chkalov Military Aviation School of Pilots named after K.E. Voroshilov, which he graduated in 1957 with the first category. And by own choice was sent to the Arctic to one of the aviation units Northern Fleet.
In 1957, Yuri Gagarin married Valentina Goryacheva. Subsequently, two girls were born into the Gagarin family - Elena (1959) and Galina (1961).
On December 9, 1959, Gagarin wrote a statement asking to be included in the group of cosmonaut candidates. He underwent a comprehensive medical examination at the Central Scientific Research Aviation Hospital in Moscow. At the beginning of 1960, a special medical commission recognized Senior Lieutenant Gagarin as fit for military service. space flights. On March 3, 1960, by order of the Air Force Commander-in-Chief Konstantin Vershinin, he was enrolled in the group of cosmonaut candidates, and on March 11 he began training.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin made the first flight into space in the history of mankind on the Vostok spacecraft, circled the globe in 1 hour and 48 minutes and landed safely in the vicinity of the village of Smelovka, Ternovsky district, Saratov region.
On April 14, 1961, Yuri Gagarin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. By order of the USSR Minister of Defense, Senior Lieutenant Gagarin was awarded the extraordinary military rank of major.
At the end of April 1961, Yuri Gagarin went on his first trip abroad. The “peace mission,” as the first cosmonaut’s trip across countries and continents is sometimes called, lasted two years. Kings and presidents, politicians and scientists, artists and musicians considered it an honor to meet him.
Since May 23, 1961, Yuri Gagarin has been the commander of the cosmonaut corps. In the fall of 1961, he entered the N.E. Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy to receive higher education.
From December 20, 1963 to 1968, Yuri Gagarin was deputy head of the Cosmonaut Training Center. He was directly involved in the education and training of cosmonaut crews and in directing the flights of the spacecraft Vostok, Voskhod, and Soyuz.
Yuri Gagarin returned to flight training in 1963, and in 1966 began training to fly on the new Soyuz spacecraft. He was appointed backup to Vladimir Komarov, who made the first flight on the new ship. The flight ended with the tragic death of the astronaut.
In 1968, Colonel Yuri Gagarin graduated with honors from the Air Force Engineering Academy. NOT. Zhukovsky. He was awarded the qualification "Pilot-Engineer-Cosmonaut".
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
The biography of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin is rich interesting facts. His life begins in the village of Klushino, in the Gzhatsky district (now renamed Gagarinsky) of the Smolensk region. The future cosmonaut was born on March 9, 1934 in an ordinary working-class family. So, Alexey Ivanovich, the boy’s father, was a carpenter; Anna Timofeevna, mother, worked on a dairy farm.
Childhood
Gagarin's biography is full of interesting facts, unexpected turns and happy endings. Yura went to school in September 1941, but already on October 12, German troops entered the village, and education was interrupted. The village of Klushino was occupied for about a year and a half, and only on April 9, 1943, when the Red Army liberated these regions, did school resume.
Youth
At the end of the war, the Gagarin family moved to the city of Gzhatsk (in 1968 it was named after Gagarin), where in May 1949 the boy graduated from the sixth grade. Then he became a student at the Lyubertsy vocational school and at the same time at an evening school for youth. June 1951 in the biography of the future cosmonaut is marked by graduating from college with honors and receiving his first specialty - molder-foundry worker.
Also in 1951, but already in August, Gagarin was enrolled in the ranks of students at the Saratov Industrial College, and at the same time the young man began training at the local flying club. Four years later, in 1955, Yuri received a new profession, this time in the specialty of foundry. He graduated from college with honors. Also, the future cosmonaut became interested in aviation at that time. By the time he graduated from college, Gagarin had already made 196 flights on his first aircraft, which was the Yak-18 aircraft.
In the same year, the guy made another discovery for himself, jumping for the first time with a PD-47 parachute from a height of 800 meters.
Both adults and children know that Yuri Gagarin is an astronaut. The biography of this legendary man is rich in interesting facts and striking events.
Military service
In the fall of 1955, Yuri Alekseevich was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army and sent to study in Orenburg. Now the future cosmonaut becomes a student at the First Chkalov Military School named after Kliment Voroshilov. In 1957, Gagarin was released. He is now qualified as a fighter pilot.
In December 1957, Yuri enlisted in the 769th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 122nd Air Force Division of the Northern Fleet, which was located in the village of Luostari-Novoye, Murmansk Region.
Gagarin's biography for children has at all times been an example of how, through hard work, a person can reach truly cosmic heights.
Flight testing
A short biography of Gagarin includes the main aspects of the cosmonaut’s life and his steps towards the dream of millions of people. When he was appointed senior pilot in 1959, he had already accumulated 256 hours of flight time.
The next stage in the life of this great man is associated with the time when he submitted a report containing a request to be included in the group of testers of the latest flight technology. This concept meant spaceships. And in the fall of 1959, Yuri Alekseevich left to conquer the capital.
Gagarin - future cosmonaut
March 1960 became fateful for the hero of our story. It was during this period that he was enrolled in the detachment of the Air Force Cosmonaut Training Center as a student. This important decision received by Air Force Commander-in-Chief Konstantin Vershinin.
On October 11, 1960, a group of six began preparations for their first controlled flight on a new spacecraft called Vostok. The group, in addition to Gagarin, included such famous personalities as Titov, Bykovsky, Popovich, Nelyubov and Nikolaev.
In January 1961, Yuri Alekseevich was appointed to the post of cosmonaut of the Cosmonaut Center. He was also qualified as an Air Force astronaut.
Gagarin's biography continues to be updated with new interesting events. On April 8 of the same year, he became senior lieutenant and chief pilot of the Vostok ship.
The first in outer space was Gagarin, a cosmonaut whose biography sparkles with bright moments and outstanding events. The question of primacy did not arise for the chief designer Sergei Korolev and his associates. It was obvious that the first cosmonaut had to be a jet fighter pilot, an absolutely healthy person, disciplined, professionally trained. An outstanding and legendary personality had to be a strong-willed, strong man who met all physical, psychological and medical requirements. Young Gagarin combined all these qualities and met all the requirements.
First man in outer space
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, whose biography consisted of many difficulties that he successfully overcame, made the dream of millions of Soviet people come true. Leaving all competitors behind, it was he who was the first to visit outer space.
As we all know, this significant event not only for the USSR, but for the whole world took place on April 12, 1961. It was on that day, at 9 hours 7 minutes, that the Vostok spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with the only pilot on board, who was Yuri Gagarin. This flight lasted 1 hour 48 minutes. During this time, the ship with a man on board for the first time made one circle around the Earth.
And at 9 hours 57 minutes TASS transmitted a message that for the first time in the history of mankind, the pilot-cosmonaut of the Vostok satellite, Major Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, flew into space.
This important news came out 50 minutes late due to the fact that at that time it was expected that they would sign an order awarding Yuri the extraordinary rank of major.
Before the rocket took off, Gagarin shouted: “Let's go!” This expression went down in history and became legendary. The team that launched Yuri Gagarin into space included the best specialists THE USSR. Sergei Korolev was the chief instructor of the Vostok ship, his deputy Leonid Voskresensky also became a backup at the second periscope. And it was the honor of engineer-lieutenant colonel of the missile forces Anatoly Kirilov to observe the rocket through the main periscope from the command bunker; he also gave commands during the launch of the spacecraft.
The launch vehicle, which carried out the first flight into outer space, performed without any problems. However, on last stage The radio control system, which was responsible for turning off the third stage engines, failed. This made it difficult for the astronaut to land.
According to the plan, Gagarin was supposed to eject at an altitude of 7 kilometers, which he tried to do. After this, the astronaut descended separately from the capsule by parachute. At this time, the valve in his spacesuit did not immediately open, which supplied air, because of this the first cosmonaut almost suffocated, but, fortunately, everything worked out. And the last obstacle to Yuri’s safe landing was that with a parachute he fell straight into the icy water of the Volga.
Excellent pre-flight preparation did its job, and Gagarin, controlling the lines, retracted the parachute, changing the flight path, and landed two kilometers from the shore.
The Vostok spacecraft completed a full circle around the Earth and already at 10:55, at the 108th minute, completed the legendary flight. Due to some failures that occurred in the braking system, the vehicle with the capsule in which Yuri Gagarin was located did not land within a radius of 110 km, as planned. Its landing took place in the area of the villages of Smelovka and Podgornoye, Saratov region.
Until the moment of the flight, no one knew how the human psyche would behave in outer space, and therefore a special protective system was provided, designed for the fact that in a fit of fear or insanity the astronaut would try to independently control the ship. In order to launch manual control, he would have to open an envelope with a special code, enter it into the control panel and only then unlock it. In orbit, the astronaut was given simple tasks: eat, drink, record his voice on tape and take notes in pencil. When Yuri Alekseevich made the first note and tried to put that same pencil next to him, he noticed that it immediately “floated away”. Based on this situation, the astronaut concluded that all objects in space must be tied down. He recorded his observations and impressions on a tape recorder.
Life after space flight
After the important event in his life, Gagarin continued to work at the CPC. In May 1961, he was appointed to the position of senior cosmonaut instructor of the first cosmonaut squad, and in January 1963 he became squad commander. In December of the same year, Yuri Alekseevich took the position of deputy head of the Cosmonaut Training Center.
In 1968, Gagarin received another specialty in manned air and space aircraft and their engines and graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. As always, he distinguished himself with brilliant studies and excellent results upon completion. At the same time, Yuri Alekseevich was awarded the qualification of pilot-cosmonaut-engineer.
After graduating from the academy, he made 18 more flights, the total duration of which was 7 hours.
The first person to go into space, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, lived a busy but short life. Brief biography of him life path and today is studied in educational institutions Worldwide.
Yuri Alekseevich made a lot of efforts to carry out lunar space flights. This brave and courageous man did not give up until his death. Before last day his life, he was a member of one of the crews preparing to fly to the moon.
The pilot’s busy and full of bright events life allowed him to devote time even unusual hobby. Thus, Gagarin grew and collected cacti, and also water skied.
Today everyone knows that the first person in outer space is Yuri Gagarin. A short biography for children is taught already in the lower grades. From an early age, schoolchildren are instilled with love for the Motherland and pride in its heroes.
Death of an astronaut
Gagarin Yuri Alekseevich, short biography which is set out in all school textbooks, lived not at all long life. However, he will remain in history and in the hearts of millions of people forever.
Gagarin tragically died on March 27, 1968, while performing a routine flight on a MiG-15UTI fighter. During this training, pilot-instructor Vladimir Seregin, Hero of the Soviet Union, also passed away. Their plane crashed near the village of Novoselovo, Vladimir region.
A group of specialists investigated this fall under the strict leadership of Sergei Belotserkovsky. Their investigation revealed that the sudden maneuver that killed both pilots was due to approaching and avoiding another aircraft. It was also possible to get caught in its vortex wake. Because of this, the MiG-15UTI piloted by Gagarin and Seregin ended up in a flat spin. Once in the cloud layer, the pilots were unable to see the altitude of their flight, as a result of which they assumed that they would have time to bring the plane out of the fall, but due to the lack of altitude gained, they did not succeed. And after they left the cloud layer, it was too late to eject.
Since 1962, April 12 has been celebrated on the Russian calendar as Cosmonautics Day. And in 1969 this date was called world day aviation and astronautics. In 2011, the UN declared April 12 as International Day of Human Space Flight.
A short biography of Gagarin includes a description of the life of a great man who did not stop at any difficulties on the way to his goal.
Awards
Gagarin's biography did not end on the day of his tragic death. Until now, monuments are opened in many cities and countries, streets and avenues are named in honor of this greatest man.
For the legendary and heroic first flight into space, Yuri Gagarin was awarded the Order of Lenin. He was also awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR. Abroad, his feat was also noted as heroic. The first cosmonaut was awarded many honorary titles outside his homeland.
After the death of the pilot, already in 1968, the International Aeronautical Federation established a gold medal, which was named in honor of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
Streets in the city are named after the first cosmonaut. various points Globe, city and district in the Smolensk region, where this man was from greatest man. Minor planet No. 1772 and a crater were named after Gagarin reverse side Moons.
2011 in Russia was declared the Year of Cosmonautics. And in honor of Gagarin they still give names to this day. spaceships and others aircraft.
In 1962, he was given the golden keys to Cairo and Alexandria for eternal safekeeping. Yuri Gagarin, whose brief biography is known even to a schoolchild, is familiar to the whole world as the first person to conquer outer space. He is the main hero of all times due to his feat.
A bronze bust of Yuri Alekseevich adorns the Moscow Alley of Space Heroes. And on the square of the same name there is a monument to the pilot-cosmonaut. Another bronze bust was installed on the second site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome; there are also statues of the hero in many Russian cities.
The great Yuri Gagarin, whose biography is studied in every school all over the world, conquered outer space and became a legend. Despite the fact that several decades have passed since his death, the name of the first cosmonaut will remain in the memory of mankind forever.
Gagarin family
The biography of the astronaut’s relatives is also rich in interesting facts. By the way, the pilot’s daughters and wife live in Russia to this day.
The wife of Yuri Gagarin was nee Goryacheva Valentina Ivanovna. At the moment, the woman is retired. Two daughters grew up in their family - Elena and Galina. The eldest was born in 1959, she graduated from the Faculty of History of Moscow State University, and since 2001, she has been working as general director Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin". The youngest daughter Galina was born in 1961. At the moment, the woman is a candidate of economic sciences and a professor.
Yuri Gagarin was known not only for his first flight into space, but also for his gentleness and kindness of character. The biography and personal life of the astronaut have never been shrouded in secrecy. Although some aspects were hidden for a long time, now the story of this man’s life is available to everyone. There are many museums around the world dedicated to the space legend.
Gagarin's biography is studied in schools and institutes in many countries. Summary It is, perhaps, familiar to everyone these days - from young to old. Yuri Gagarin is one of the main reasons for pride in our Motherland. After all, he is the one the clearest example as a common person can reach unprecedented heights thanks to perseverance and work on oneself.
