Rare editions, films and video lectures of the Presidential Library illustrate the history of space exploration

April 12, 2020 our country traditionally celebrates Cosmonautics Day. It was on this day 59 years ago that a man first went beyond the limits of the earth's atmosphere into open space. The Presidential Library invites visitors of its portal to learn about the materials of the Outer Space electronic collection, including newsreels, periodicals, books, postcards, commemorative medals and badges which spotlight various milestones in the development of astronautics.

The largest section of the collection is devoted to the study of outer space. It also contains rare editions, thanks to which we can look at the starry sky through the eyes of people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century, understand what they thought, what they dreamed about.

One of those who made these dreams a reality was the representative of Russian cosmism, the founder of theoretical cosmonautics Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky. A separate collection describes him on the Presidential Library’s portal. It was Tsiolkovsky who made the largest discoveries in astronautics and rocket technology. In 1903 he published the work Investigations of World Spaces with Reactive Devices. The book focuses on the structure of a space rocket and a liquid rocket engine, the foundations of the mathematical theory of rocket flight are developed, and practical recommendations are given on the design of rockets. The works of Tsiolkovsky gave a powerful impetus to research aimed at creating rocket and space technology.

The dream of mankind came true on April 12, 1961 - the world's first spacecraft-satellite "Vostok" with a man on board - pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was put into orbit around the Earth.

Thanks to the materials from the collection of the Presidential Library, today we can return to that momentous day and feel the incredible delight that millions of people have experienced. Newsreels captured Yuri Gagarin before the flight: the future first cosmonaut of the Earth rides in a bus to the launch site, says goodbye to designer Korolev, then settles in the cockpit and takes off. Other shots depict Sergey Korolyov at the control panel in an alarming expectation of radio communication with Yuri Gagarin. The seconds lingeringly drag on to the moment when he hears Gagarin’s words: “I feel myself normal”

The world's first astronaut later shared his impressions on the pages of his books: “From a height of 300 kilometers the illuminated surface of the Earth is very well visible. Watching the surface of the Earth, I saw clouds and their light shadows that lay on fields, forests and seas. When I flew over our country, I clearly saw the squares of collective farm fields”. The digitized editions Road to Space, I See the Earth, Psychology and Space and others are available in the electronic reading rooms of the Presidential Library.

The followers of Yuri Gagarin - Soviet and Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts - are described in separate sections of the Outer Space collection.

The Presidential Library’s portal provides a documentary Space Pilots, which spotlights the fate of unknown heroes of space exploration - academician V. A. Ponomarenko, medical researcher A. Z. Mnatsakanyan and others. The film is based on unique video materials shot during secret tests with human participation, conducted at the Research Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine, and on modern filming material. Another documentary film The Prophet is dedicated to Academician V. I. Vernadsky, the author of a detailed concept of the “biosphere” and “noosphere”. Humanity's exploration of outer space has become the theme of the Ascension documentary.

You can visit one of the most respected observatories in Russia and the most famous in the North Caucasus, abbreviated as SAO RAS, find out how the world's largest radio telescope RATAN-600 works, see the most powerful BTA telescope in Europe and get an opportunity to look into faraway space without leaving home thanks to the program of the Arkhyz 24 television channel “Let's go. Traveling in the Caucasus. Space excursion to the SAO RAS” included in the collection of the Presidential Library.

Visitors to the Presidential Library’s portal have the opportunity to listen to lectures by leading Russian scientists The International Space Station - Orbital Construction of the Century and Achievements of Modern Astronomy: A New Breakthrough in Fundamental Science, which were held at different on  Senate Square, 3 from anywhere in the world.