Yuri Gagarin

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Lore & Background

Born in the village of Klushino in the Russian SFSR, Gagarin was a foundryman at a steel plant in Lyubertsy in his youth. He later joined the Soviet Air Forces as a pilot and was stationed at the Luostari Air Base, near the Norway–Soviet Union border, before his selection for the Soviet space programme alongside five other cosmonauts. Following his spaceflight, Gagarin became the deputy training director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre, which was later named after him. He was also elected as a deputy of the Soviet of the Union in 1962 and then to the Soviet of Nationalities, the lower and upper chambers of the Supreme Soviet respectively. Vostok 1 was Gagarin's only spaceflight, but he served as the backup crew to Soyuz 1, which ended in a fatal crash, killing his friend and fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Fearful that a high-level national hero might be killed, Soviet officials banned Gagarin from participating in further spaceflights. After completing training at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy in February 1968, he was again allowed to fly regular aircraft. However, Gagarin died five weeks later, when the MiG-15 that he was piloting with flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin crashed near the town of Kirzhach.

In Their Own Story

During the German occupation of Klushino in World War II, the Gagarin family suffered greatly. The Nazis captured the village on 18 October 1941, burning down the school and 27 houses. A Nazi officer took over the Gagarin residence, forcing the family into a mud hut measuring approximately 3 by 3 metres for 21 months. Yuri became a saboteur after a German soldier tried to hang his younger brother Boris on an apple tree; in retaliation, Yuri poured soil into tank batteries and mixed chemical supplies. In early 1943, his two elder siblings were deported to Poland for slave labour but escaped and were conscripted into the Red Army, not returning until 1945. After the war, Gagarin trained as a foundryman at a steel plant in Lyubertsy, then studied tractors at the Industrial Technical School in Saratov, where he also volunteered at a local flying club. He was accepted to the First Chkalov Higher Air Force Pilots School in Orenburg in 1955, graduating in 1957 and posted to Luostari Air Base. Selected for the Vostok programme, Gagarin was 1.57 metres tall and weighed less than 72 kg, fitting the Vostok capsule's limits. He began training on 15 March 1960, including parachute jumps in Saratov Oblast. When his peers voted anonymously for the first to fly, all but three chose Gagarin.

Reader's Guide

Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on 12 April 1961, completing one orbit of Earth in 108 minutes aboard Vostok 1. This was his only spaceflight. After the flight, he became deputy training director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre. He was elected a deputy of the Soviet of the Union in 1962 and later to the Soviet of Nationalities. He served as backup crew to Soyuz 1, which crashed fatally, killing Vladimir Komarov. Soviet officials then banned Gagarin from further spaceflights. After training at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, he was allowed to fly regular aircraft again in February 1968. He died five weeks later on 27 March 1968 when the MiG-15 he piloted with flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin crashed near Kirzhach. In his early life, Gagarin worked as a foundryman at a steel plant in Lyubertsy, studied tractors in Saratov, and trained as a Soviet air cadet at a local flying club. He was commissioned a lieutenant on 5 November 1957, having accumulated 166 hours and 47 minutes of flight time. He was rated Military Pilot 3rd Class on 7 July 1959 and promoted to senior lieutenant on 6 November 1959.

Did You Know?

• Gagarin was 1.57 metres (5 ft 2 in) tall, fitting the Vostok capsule's size limit of 1.70 metres.
• During the German occupation, Yuri sabotaged a soldier's work by pouring soil into tank batteries and mixing chemical supplies after the soldier tried to hang his brother.
• Gagarin's flight took 108 minutes, completing one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961.
• He was banned from further spaceflights after serving as backup to Soyuz 1, which crashed and killed his friend Vladimir Komarov.
• Gagarin died on 27 March 1968 when the MiG-15 he piloted with flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin crashed near Kirzhach.