World History: Exhibition in Brussels marks 50th anniversary of the first flight into space

The exhibition timed to 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space opened April 4, 2011 in the Breydel building of the European Commission in Brussels.

It has been organized by the Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union together with the European Commission, European Space Agency and other organizations.

The exposition showcases 41 photographs which enable visitors to follow the whole history of cosmonautics – from Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space and orbital space flight of dogs Belka and Strelka to modern flights of the International Space Station (ISS) and preparation for the expedition to Mars.

Apart from photographs the exhibition features spacecraft models, including legendary “Vostok” and “Soyuz”.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by the Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne, who was the commander of ISS crew two years ago. “The path to space has just started, - he said. – These 50 years – is merely its first stage”.