Everyone knows about the significant date - April 12, 1961. There are many stories about the great cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. This article tells about the place where the spacecraft landed with the first man to circle the Earth.
A bit of history
The satellite ship "Vostok" with Yuri Gagarin on board took off to a height of 327 kilometers. Then he circled the entire globe and, without any problems, landed on the territory of the village of Smelovka, Saratov Region, 26 kilometers from the city of Engels. It is this place where Gagarin landed that will be described in our article.
On April 12, 1961, a momentous event took place. This day was unremarkable for many people. Someone was going to work, someone was resting, everyone was going about their usual business. And no one suspected that this particular day would remain in their memory. At 10:02 am, the radio announcer said: “Attention! Moscow speaking! Man in space! This wonderful day of spring has become a holiday for all mankind, because it is:
- Earth Starry Day.
- Beginning of the space age.
This memorable date entered the history of civilization by the fact that the Soviet pilot Yu. A. Gagarin performed his first flight into space on the Vostok spacecraft. 108 minutes of flight in the vastness of the galaxy completely changed the life of an astronaut. The pilot of a fighter aviation regiment suddenly became the most famous person in the world. And the fact that he belongs to our nation evokes a feeling of pride in his native Fatherland. The ship "Vostok" circled the globe, and this significant event simply shocked the whole world. After all, the history of space has never known such a thing!
Interesting facts
Vostok carrier rocket with a spacecraft piloted by a pilot was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. It is very symbolic that the landing site of Yu. A. Gagarin is not far from Saratov. Namely, in this city 6 years ago, a young man graduated with honors from the Industrial College. In addition, the so-called "winged youth" of the future cosmonaut began here, because he studied at the DOSAAF flying club and made his first successful and independent flight on the Yak-18 aircraft. In total, Yuri Gagarin performed 196 flights.
The landing of the first cosmonaut was not planned on Saratov land. It was expected that it would be in the region of Kazakhstan. But the range and flight time of the spacecraft changed as a result of the fact that Gagarin's orbit turned out to be 40 km higher than the calculated one due to a failure in the spacecraft's braking system. At an altitude of 7 thousand kilometers, the pilot-cosmonaut ejected from the cabin of the spacecraft and parachuted down to Earth.
Official sources stated that Gagarin's landing site was planned. In fact, he landed autonomously from the "Vostok". This happened two kilometers from the Volga River. Thanks to excellent parachute training, Gagarin did not land on the waters of the great river, along which huge ice floes were floating at that time.
The place where the spacecraft landed was classified for some time. But soon it became known about him - this is the village of Smelovka.
What did people see on April 12, 1961?
That day, everything went on as usual. And neither the city of Engels, nor the nearby settlements, nor Saratov itself was famous for anything special. Gagarin's landing site became known to the whole world in an instant.
Residents of the village of Smelovka heard two explosions. Then they saw 2 parachutes descending from the sky. At that moment, they did not even suspect that a great event of a truly global scale had taken place. This moment gave rise to the holiday - Cosmonautics Day, which began to be celebrated on April 12.
Gagarin's life after spaceflight
For his selfless deed, the first cosmonaut who made one revolution around the Earth was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. When he parachuted down to Earth, Gagarin's landing site became public knowledge. After his first space flight, which aroused great interest around the world, the young man became a world celebrity. He was invited by public organizations and heads of various countries, including foreign ones.
In total, he visited about 30 states during his life, including:
- Czechoslovakia.
- Finland.
- England.
- Bulgaria.
- Egypt.
- Canada.
- India.
- Ceylon.
Gagarin was engaged in social and political work on the territory of the Soviet Union, was a deputy of the Supreme Council, a member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, president of the Soviet-Cuban Friendship Society. He graduated from the Air Force Engineering Academy. Zhukovsky, worked at the CTC (Cosmonaut Training Center) and was intensively preparing for a new flight into space.
The death of the pilot-cosmonaut
In 1968, in March, Y. Gagarin died in the Vladimir region in a plane crash while performing a training flight on a MiG-15 aircraft under the guidance of an experienced instructor V. Seregin. Until now, the causes and circumstances of that sad accident that claimed the life of a remarkable person have not been clarified. He was only 34 years old. This is how the fate of the astronaut-pilot ended unexpectedly. Since then, the place where Gagarin landed has become memorable. Events that were held in connection with his death:
- National mourning.
- Renaming streets and squares in his honor, some settlements, including his hometown - Gzhatsk (Gagarin).
- Installation of monuments.
True or not?
There is still a controversy: on the territory of which collective farm the spacecraft landed:
- "Lenin's way".
- Shevchenko collective farm.
Previously nameless, and now "Gagarin's field" - this is the name of the place where Gagarin landed, the photo of which you see in the article. Most likely, this is just a formal place. There is another version, according to which, the real territory where the space unit with a person on board came into contact with the earth is a test site near the village of Podgornoye. The location of this place is slightly north of the fields of the above collective farms.
What happened after the spaceship landed?
The astronaut's cabin, on which the actual descent to Earth took place, is shaped like a ball. After he landed, he was carefully examined. The metal body was heavily melted, and the porthole window turned out to be completely sooty. It seemed unbelievable that a person could be here.
Where Gagarin's landing site, or rather his descent vehicle, was, a sign was installed with the inscription: "Do not touch 12.04.61." Soon she disappeared, most likely, the locals took her as a keepsake, and the column stood for another year. A few days before the anniversary of the momentous flight, a cement pedestal with a commemorative plaque was made next to the pillar.
What did Gagarin's landing site look like before?
In 1965, an obelisk 27 meters high was installed on the Gagarin Field. It is a kind of rocket taking off into the sky. By the way, this obelisk is a reduced copy of the monument "Conquerors of the Universe". It was built in Moscow in 1964, on Mira Avenue, in honor of the achievements of the Sovietpeople in space exploration. The height of the monument reaches 107 meters.
In 1981, on the pedestal for the 20th anniversary of the first space flight around the Earth at the base of the obelisk, a sculpture of cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin appeared. On one side of the pedestal, which is lined with gray marble, there is a metal plaque with the inscription: "On April 12, 1961, the world's first cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin landed here." This is what Gagarin's landing site looked like, whose address is known to everyone.
Over time, a park was planted around the monument dedicated to the first flight into space. The architectural complex on the "Gagarin field", that is, the landing site of the first cosmonaut, was included in the tourist maps and became a favorite route for tourists and guests of our country.
"Gagarin field" in our time
In 2011, in honor of the 50th anniversary, the landing site of Gagarin (photo of the sculptural monument is attached) was supplemented with stands with bas-reliefs by sculptor A. Rozhkov. They depict prominent figures in space exploration, such as:
- K. Tsiolkovsky is the founder of astronautics.
- S. Korolev is a designer of the domestic rocket industry.
Also, the memorial complex includes a composition of 12 portraits of astronauts. These are people who have contributed to the development of domestic science:
- G. Titov.
- V. Tereshkova.
- K. Feoktistov.
- P. Popovich.
- S. Savitskaya.
- A. Leonov and others.
The memorial began to be called as follows: "Cosmonautics Gallery". Everyone who comes to Saratov must visit Gagarin's landing place. After all, here you can enjoy not only the beauty of a wonderful architectural monument, but also natural compositions. A park has been laid out near the obelisk with a rocket directed upwards. The slope of the ravine is adorned with an alley of elms, and the neat paved road leading to the Cosmonautics Gallery is planted with poplars with a pyramidal crown. This place is often visited by newlyweds to lay flowers at the monument dedicated to the first flight into space.
Events for Cosmonautics Day
Hundreds of Saratov residents and guests from all over the globe visit this famous Gagarin landing site. Any local resident will tell you how to get to it. Many people come to the memorable "Gagarin field" to pay tribute to the great son of Russia, who paved the first path to those distant worlds.
On this day, not only in the Saratov region, but throughout the country, various festive events dedicated to the anniversary of cosmonautics are held:
- Rallies.
- Exhibitions.
- Forums.
- Concerts etc.
Also broadcasts films related to space, dedicated to pilot-cosmonauts, including Yu. A. Gagarin. Demonstration performances of athletes-paratroopers are held at the place of landing of the spacecraft. An exhibition of sports and military equipment is being held at the Gagarin Field. Stormtroopersaerobatic team "Rus" show an air show. Thanks to April 12, Gagarin's landing site has become a popular attraction in the city of Engels.
