In Russia, and in the world, it is difficult to meet a person who would not know who Yuri Gagarin is. It is known from the history of the Soviet Union. This is a legendary man. The list of his merits to the fatherland is so large that you can write more than a dozen pages, only listing them. But with all this, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear his name: “This is the first person who has traveled into space.” It was he who April 12, 1961 on board the ship "Vostok" was able to first conquer the heavenly expanses. Therefore, the monuments to Gagarin, whose photos will be presented below, serve as a reminder of the strength of human will and the desire for a dream.
Monument in the capital of Russia
In the sunny summer of 1980, on Leninsky Prospekt, a new monument appeared before the human eye. The height of creation was 42.5 meters, which immediately distinguished it from the rest of the buildings. The great test pilot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was immortalized in it. The monument was a work of the great architect of the time P.I. Bondarenko. In addition to the pilot himself, the Vostok spacecraft was present in the monument. The place for its construction carried a symbolic meaning. It was along Leningradsky Prospect that Yuri Gagarin drove up to the building of the Central Committee of the CPSU in order to report on his first flight into space. In addition, this square is one of the largest in Moscow, which further increased the importance of this building for society. Titanium was used to create the monument. It is this material that serves for the manufacture of spacecraft lining. The Balashikha Foundry took over the execution of the order, which was able to complete all the tasks in a very short time. To create the design, 238 different parts had to be made, which were subsequently bolted and welded. The total weight of the sculpture was 12 tons, and this meant that the monument to Gagarin in Moscow became the largest piece of architecture of the time. The official opening was a great cultural event and attracted more than one thousand guests. Many representatives of the space organizations of the Soviet Union were invited. Also attended by the widow and daughter of Gagarin. Yuri himself, unfortunately, did not live up to this event.
Other cities
Another symbolic place was Orenburg, because it was here that Gagarin received his first flight epaulettes at the school. As the pilot himself will later say: "Orenburg gave me wings." So, on April 12, 1986, a monument appeared in which Gagarin is immortalized. The monument depicts the astronaut himself in a flight suit, standing at full height and holding up both hands. The saddest reminder is the obelisk in the village of Novoselovo, in the Vladimir region. It was here that on March 27, 1968, Yuri Gagarin and his assistant Vladimir Sorokin died in tests of a new aircraft.
Misty Albion
Not only native lands remember the exploits that Yuri Gagarin performed. A monument to the astronaut was also erected on a square in the UK. The history of this event dates back to 1961, when Yuri arrived on a friendly visit to this country. The kindness and affability of this man immediately won the hearts of the English. And now, after half a century, namely July 14, 2011, a monument to Yuri Gagarin was erected on Trafalgar Square . It is an exact copy of what stands near the vocational school in Lyubertsy, in the suburbs.
Unique Gagarin. Monument in Latvia
The most unusual monument to the Soviet hero was created by the Latvian sculptor Gleb Panteleev. Gagarin is originally depicted on it. A monument to how Yuri would look if he lived to be 70 years old. The monument was erected in Riga in 2004, just on the 70th anniversary of the astronaut's birth. In addition, the name and surname of the pilot also changed, giving the Latvian sound.
World hero
In the article we talked only about the main monuments dedicated to this great astronaut. But there are other monuments to Gagarin, which, perhaps, are not so famous, but nevertheless are wonderful creations of the hands of architects. Many of them are fascinated by their design and the depth of thought they carry. After all, they serve as a reminder of the man who made the whole world believe that there are no unattainable horizons and peaks. We are capable of everything we can imagine.