Pioneers of Space (1954-1961)

An employee of the USSR Academy of Sciences holds dogs Belka and Strelka, who have returned from space, during a press conference on August 21, 1960. Journalists take notes in notebooks.

Interview with candidate of medical sciences Gazenko O.G. (synchronously and behind the scenes).

Belka and Strelka during a press conference, photojournalists are filming.

Weighing a dog named Lisa-2 before the flight in 1954. A round transparent helmet is put on the dog.

Installing the capsule of the device with the dog into the R1-D launch vehicle.

One of the dogs in a state of weightlessness during the space flight.

Removing the dog from the capsule of the descent module after landing.

Dog Laika before the flight in 1957. One of the dogs before boarding the capsule.

Installing the protective casing on the nose of the spacecraft.

Launch of the launch vehicle, the rocket in flight.

A dog in a capsule inside the launch vehicle (animation).

People on the streets of Moscow during celebrations of the successful flight of the first man into space on April 12, 1961. Rallies on the streets and squares of Moscow, a panorama of one of the rallies.

Adults rock a boy named Yura.

A solemn rally on Red Square.

Faces of rally participants giving and listening to speeches.

An elderly woman gives a speech on Red Square in honor of Yuri Gagarin.

Faces of rally participants.

Removing a dog from the capsule of the descent vehicle after landing.

Dog-cosmonauts in the open capsule of the descent module after landing.

The descent module after landing.

Removing a dog from the descent module.

An employee of the USSR Academy of Sciences holds the dogs Belka and Strelka, who returned from space, during a press conference on August 21, 1960. Dogs during a space flight.

General Designer Korolev S.P. holds a meeting with members of the State Commission and members of the first cosmonaut detachment, makes a report on preparations for the first space flight (synchronously), Keldysh M.V. sits nearby.

A member of the commission introduces cosmonauts Gagarin Yu.A., Titov G.S., Nelyubov G.G., Nikolaev A.G., Bykovsky V.F. and Popovich P.R. The member of the commission calls out the names of Gagarin and Titov as the first candidate for the flight and his backup, Gagarin and Titov stand up.

Korolev delivers a farewell speech to Gagarin and Titov (synchronously).

Gagarin delivers a response speech (synchronously).

The cosmonauts and members of the State Commission applaud Gagarin after his speech.

Views of access roads during the construction of the Baikonur Cosmodrome (above).

Panorama of the temporary residential camp and buildings at the cosmodrome.

Panorama of the Baikonur cosmodrome construction camp in 1955-1956. Residential railway carriage on the sidings.

Scientists and military personnel conduct research in a laboratory carriage.

Blooming tulips.

Earth cracked by the sun.

Views and landscapes of the Volga steppes.

Panorama of the construction of the rocket range in Kapustin Yar (photograph).

Residential carriages on the rails.

Gagarin Yu.A. descends the steps of an airplane at Vnukovo Airport on April 14, 1961. Khrushchev N.S. congratulates Gagarin on the successful completion of his space flight.

Khrushchev and Gagarin respond to the greetings of those meeting him.

Gagarin reports to Khrushchev and the members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee on the successful completion of his space flight.

Views of Moscow streets during the meeting of Gagarin on April 14, 1961. Residents of Moscow greet Gagarin.

Gagarin and Khrushchev respond to greetings from Muscovites from a car.

Gagarin rides in an open car along the streets of Moscow, accompanied by a motorcycle escort.

Faces of Muscovites greeting Gagarin.

View of Gagarin's motorcade (top).

The motorcade enters the Kremlin grounds.

Faces of participants in the ceremonial rallies in honor of the first manned flight into space.

Jubilant people on the streets of Moscow. S.P. Korolev speaks at a meeting of the State Commission.

General designer S.P. Korolev addresses the members of the State Commission for permission to begin preparations for the first manned space flight in April 1961 (synchronously), sitting next to him is M.V. Keldysh.

Assembly of the Vostok-1 spacecraft.

Meeting Yu.A. Gagarin in France, people surround Gagarin's car from all sides and give him flowers.

Gagarin's face during a trip to India.

Freeze-frame with Gagarin.

Residents of various countries meet and greet Gagarin.

Gagarin Yu. A. meeting in France, people surround Gagarin's car from all sides and give him flowers.

Gagarin's face during a trip to India.

A still frame with Gagarin.

Residents of different countries meet and greet Gagarin.

Gagarin meeting with one of the hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Gagarin in a sombrero given to him.

Reporters take pictures of Gagarin.

Gagarin receiving a commemorative award during his visit to one of the countries.

Gagarin on the presidium next to Che Guevara during a ceremonial rally in Cuba on July 26, 1961.