The Presidential Library's video lecture to portray the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

On March 11, 2024 at 15:00 (Moscow time) the Presidential Library, as part of the video lecture Knowledge of Russia, will host a lecture entitled “Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin - a citizen and a person”, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of the cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union.

In 2024, on March 9, Yuri Gagarin would have turned 90 years old. Turning to the biography of any person, it is very difficult to choose from a variety of events those from which one can get a true idea of his character, worldview and personal qualities.

A corresponding member of the Interregional public organization “Tsiolkovsky Russian Academy of Cosmonautics”, author of books and publications on the history of astronautics Valery Kupriyanov, will talk about Yuri Gagarin’s childhood and adolescence. He will cite some little-known facts about Gagarin's qualification as a fighter pilot, explain how the selection and training of the cosmonaut corps is carried out, and tell how Gagarin's space flight took place.

Listeners will learn about the life of the first cosmonaut after his flight into space, his social activities and trips abroad. They will also talk about Yuri Gagarin’s studies at the N. E. Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, work in the cosmonaut corps and the hero’s last flight.

In addition, some legends and myths spread about the first man in space will be discussed. At the video lecture, viewers will be able to see rare photographs of Yuri Gagarin.

The video lecture is free. The conference will be broadcast on the Presidential Library’s portal in Live Broadcasts section in accordance with the program of live events, on the Rutube-channel of the institution.

The Presidential Library’s portal features the Outer Space collection, which includes fragments of newsreels, periodicals, books, postcards, commemorative medals and badges reflecting various milestones in the development of astronautics. Unique newsreels captured Yuri Gagarin before the start of his flight. Writer and journalist Anton Pervushin talks about how this historic flight took place in the video lecture 106 minutes of Yuri Gagarin: declassified details of the first space flight (2016).

The Presidential Library's collections contain declassified and digitized materials from Yuri Gagarin's personal record. Among them are a questionnaire, a detailed table on active military service in the Soviet Army, a list of positions in the cosmonaut corps, from student to pilot-engineer-cosmonaut, information about marital status, characteristics from the place of study and other documents.

Accreditation of media representatives is until 12:00 March 7, 2024.

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked Media Accreditation at media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru Alexandra Khudyakova, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 167; mob. +7 (981) 788-28-08.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.