Cosmonautics Day 2023: Date, History, Honors Payable to Yuri Gagarin

The 12th of April is celebrated annually as Cosmonautics Day in Russia and other former Soviet Union states. The first manned space flight occurred on April 12, 1961, with Russian Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard. Thus, the Soviet Union was the first nation to launch a crewed spacecraft, and Gagarin was the first human to orbit the Earth. This elevated him to national hero status, and his country bestowed upon him the title ‘Hero of the Soviet Union.’ The Soviet Union proclaimed April 12 as Cosmonautics Day on April 9, 1962.

The background of Cosmonautics Day

On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union became the first nation to launch a crewed space mission. In the Vostok 1 spacecraft, cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth, spending 108 minutes in space. This accomplishment ushered in a new phase of space exploration and was considered a victory for the Soviet space programme. “Flight is proceeding normally; I am well” were the only remarks attributed to Gagarin during the flight. After his historic voyage, Gagarin was elevated to celebrity and hero status.

His biography and details of his flight were published in major newspapers worldwide. After being escorted to the Kremlin in a motorcade of high-ranking officials, Nikita Khrushchev bestowed upon him the highest possible Soviet distinction, “Hero of the Soviet Union.” He also received the ‘Order of Lenin,’ ‘Merited Master of Sports of the Soviet Union,’ ‘Hero of Socialist Labor in Czechoslovakia,’ the ‘Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Gold Medal,’ and the ‘Pilot-Cosmonaut of the U.S.S.R.’ On April 9, 1962, the Soviet Union established Cosmonautics Day. On November 6, 1963, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Soviet Armed Forces, having been appointed emissary to the Soviet Union in 1962. The United Nations General Assembly declared April 12 as International Day of Human Space Flight on April 7, 2011, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic flight. Since 2001, the World Space Party has been celebrated worldwide on April 12 under the name Yuri’s Night.

On Russia’s Cosmonautics Day, participants gather at Gagarin’s statue in Korolyov. From there, they travel to the Kremlin Wall Necropolis to visit his grave. After passing through Cosmonauts Alley, the motorcade concludes with a stop at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

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5 HONORS PAYABLE TO YURI GAGARIN

• On April 30, 1968, the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City was named after Gagarin.
• In 1968, the name of the Russian Air Force Academy was changed to the Gagarin Air Force Academy.
• The Gagarin Cup is the name of the championship trophy of the Kontinental Hockey League.
• In 2001, Russia issued a series of coins bearing Gagarin’s image.
• After his demise in 1968, the town of Gzhatsk in Smolensk Oblast was renamed Gagarin.

COSMONAUTICS DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	April 12	Wednesday
2024	April 12	Friday
2025	April 12	Saturday
2026	April 12	Sunday
2027	April 12	Monday