"History, Dream, Reality". The Presidential Library hosted Cosmonautics Day

12 April 2021

April 12, 2021 the Presidential Library hosted the traditional conference "Cosmonautics Day at the Presidential Library". This year it was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the first manned flight into space.

The theme of the conference "History, Dream, Reality" determined the format of the event. Its participants reflected on the historical significance of Yuri Gagarin's flight, met with those who were personally acquainted with the first cosmonaut and ensured the launch of his spacecraft on Earth, talked about the dream and how to achieve it.

The event was attended by representatives of the administration of St. Petersburg, the State Corporation "Roscosmos", the North-West Interregional Public Organization of the Federation of Cosmonautics of the Russian Federation, the Cosmonautics Museum of the Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center, scientists, cadets and students of educational institutions of St. Petersburg. Participants from other Russian cities will join the event via video conference.

Acting Director General of the Presidential Library Pavel Tereshchenko addressed the conference participants with a welcoming speech: “We are very pleased that year after year on this day, our wonderful friends - members of the cosmonaut corps, representatives of the aerospace industry, the military who ensure the implementation of prelaunch procedures of civil space and subsequent tracking of space objects. I would like to note that most of the participants in today's event in the Presidential Library represent the younger generation, which should become a worthy replacement for the older generation...The recordings of the sounded speeches will enter the digital collections of the institution. The Presidential Library, which is part of the Russian President's Property Management Department, is always open for further cooperation, including in the field of astronautics".

Dmitry Kobylkin, Acting Deputy Secretary of the General Council of the Yedinaya Rossiya Party, in turn, stressed: “For our country, the anniversary date of human space exploration is one of the landmark events that allow us to turn to the achievements in the development of the space industry and dreams of new achievements. in any spheres of human activity. The Presidential Library today has become a place not only for holding a festive event, but also for uniting generations with the ideas of the space development of mankind. Dream, determination, responsibility - these and other valuable qualities underlie the most extraordinary discoveries and achievements".

Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Boris Piotrovsky in his welcoming address expressed confidence that the conference in the Presidential Library "will make a great contribution to the study and coverage of the history of the modern space industry".

At the conference "Cosmonautics Day at the Presidential Library", as usual, congratulations were heard from the International Space Station (ISS) - Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov made a video greeting.

One of the highlights of the conference was the premiere of the short feature film "ERA", created at the initiative of the Center for the Development of Intellectual and Creative Abilities "Intelrost" with the support of the State Corporation "Roscosmos". The film was presented by the executive director of the State Corporation "Roscosmos", Hero of the Soviet Union and Russia, pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR Sergei Krikalev, scriptwriter and director of the film Elena Dubrovskaya, head of the project "Movie lessons in Russian schools" producer Viktor Merkulov, as well as pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Oleg Skripochka. After the premiere at the Presidential Library, the film will be donated to Russian schools for showing as part of film lessons.

One of the main roles in the film "ERA" was played by the pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of Russia, member of the Presidium of the Russian Space Society, full member of the International Academy of Astronautics Valery Tokarev. He has 2 space flights with a total duration of 199 days 15 hours 6 minutes 47 seconds.

Valery Ivanovich was personally present at the Presidential Library. The conference participants and specialists from the regional centers of the Presidential Library had opportunity to ask him questions. The young participants of the event were interested in everything: "What way of life should it be to withstand a space flight?", "Why should an astronaut learn foreign languages?", "What do the cosmonaut's call signs mean?", "Why is the moon dark on one side?".

...The feat of Yuri Gagarin became the property of all mankind. The world community greeted the space pioneer as a national hero, as a citizen of planet Earth. Tamara Filatova, the niece of "cosmonaut No. 1", advisor to the director of the Gagarin United Memorial Museum about how he was in the family, how his relations with family and friends were developing.

The conference participants "Cosmonautics Day at the Presidential Library" also learned about a new book about Yuri Gagarin by Alexander Milkus, learned the details of the launch of the Vostok-1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961 - they were told by the veteran of the Baikonur cosmodrome, honorary radio operator of the USSR Vladimir Kraskin. The Presidential Library plans to create a documentary about him, which will enter the Outer Space collection, including newsreel fragments, periodicals, books, postcards, commemorative medals and badges reflecting various milestones in the development of astronautics.