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🇷🇺🇪🇹🚀Addis Ababa Marks the 65th Anniversary of the First Human Spaceflight! On April 15, 2026, the Russian Embassy in Ethiopia in partnership with the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) held a ceremony dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Yu. A. Gagarin's flight. During the event the participants laid flowers at the bust of Yuri Gagarin. The Ambassador stated that on this day, peoples of the world pay tribute to the legacy of Yuri Gagarin and recognize the bravery and dedication of those who have ventured into space. It inspires future generations to continue pushing the boundaries of human space exploration. ☝️H.E. Evgeny Terekhin pledged Russia's commitment to continue cooperation with Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute in the field of space science and related areas. The Ambassador briefed the audience on the latest achievements in the Russian space industry. He also outlined that these advanced achievements were aimed not only at addressing Russia’s domestic socio-economic objectives but also at deepening an equitable dialogue with friendly nations, among which Russia undoubtedly includes Ethiopia. ❗️H.E. Evgeny Terekhin payed special attention that Moscow sees prospects for synergy its efforts with Addis Ababa in multilateral formats, including cooperation between the Russian State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) and the SSGI. Speaking at the event, Mr. Abdisa Yilma, Director General of the SSGI, congratulated participants of the event on the Cosmonautics Day and noted that today SSGI and Roscosmos are under continuous discussions. 📡Mr. Abdisa Yilma also underlined that the main Ethiopia’s priority is to establish together with the Russian counterparts a local Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) center in Ethiopia. 🎥During the event, a recording of warm congratulations from Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station was broadcasted. #Gagarin65#FirstInSpace

🧑‍🚀 A few months after his historic flight, Yuri Gagarin arrived in Britain — and stepped into a different kind of orbit. From 11 to 15 July 1961, crowds filled the streets of London and Manchester, eager to catch a glimpse of the world’s first spaceman. Newspapers followed his every move, and he was even invited to Buckingham Palace, where he met the Queen. In Manchester, on a typically rainy day, Gagarin visited the Metropolitan-Vickers engineering works, invited by trade union members. Seeing people waiting for him in the downpour, he asked for the roof of his Rolls-Royce to be lowered, saying: “Surely the least I can do is get wet too.” It was a small gesture, but one many remembered — simple, genuine, and deeply human. His visit to Britain felt like a shared celebration, showing that even at the height of the Cold War, human achievement could bring people together. Traces of that visit remain today. At the Science Museum in London, visitors can see a monument marking the first human journey into space, alongside a bronze bust of Gagarin presented in 2017. At Manchester Airport, a commemorative plaque recalls his 1961 visit. Further north, on the Orkney Islands, stands the “Gagarin Stone”, unveiled in 2008 along the Milestones Trail leading to Skara Brae — part of a series marking defining moments in human history. 🎞 Curious to see it for yourself? Watch rare footage from his visit to London. #Gagarin65#FirstInSpace

🛰On April 12, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kudy-Sverchkov, Sergey Mikaev and Andrey Fedyayev sent greetings from aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit on Cosmonautics Day and the International Day of Human Space Flight. 💬 65 years ago, on a spring day like this, Yuri Gagarincompleted a single orbit of our planet – becoming the first person on Earth to see it from the space and to behold the beauty of our shared home. Today, during long-duration missions, we complete hundreds and even thousands of such orbits. But we do not simply fly in space – we work, helping push science forward and deepen our understanding of human life in space, so that those who follow us can go even further in exploring the Universe. ☝️ None of this would have been possible without the historic first flight of our great predecessor. This year, we are not simply celebrating Cosmonautics Day. In accordance with a decree by the President of Russia, Russia will observe Space Week annually starting in 2026. Across the country, numerous events are being held dedicated to cosmonautics – its history, its present and its future. Our goal is to kindle in the hearts of millions of Russian boys and girls a love of space.Let us once again look to the skies and dream of the stars and distant planets. Happy holiday, friends. Happy Cosmonautics Day! #Gagarin65#FirstInSpace

6️⃣5️⃣years since Yuri Gagarin’s historic space feat! 🚀On April 12, 1961, the Vostok launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This momentous event marked the culmination of the efforts of millions of Soviet citizens – design engineers, scientists, military pilots, doctors, specialists across a wide range of fields, and entire branches of industry. Inside the cramped cabin of the crewed spacecraft was Senior Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin. At 9:07 am, the four metal arms holding the 287-tonne rocket retracted, and Vostok began its lift-off. It was at that very moment that Gagarin’s famous “#POYEKHALI!”(*Let’s go!) rang out over the radio. At 9:12 am, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle and entered the Earth's orbit. Its speed reached 28,260 kilometres per hour – nearly 8 kilometres per second. Never before had a human travelled so fast. 🎙Just as the spacecraft reached Earth's orbit, Yuri Levitan – the USSR’s iconic radio announcer – solemnly declared to the world: This is Moscow speaking! The time in Moscow is 10:02 am. We are broadcasting a TASS report on the first human flight into outer space. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched into orbit around the Earth the world’s first spacecraft-satellite, Vostok, with a man on board. The pilot-cosmonaut is a citizen of the USSR, Air Force Major Yuri Gagarin (the extraordinary rank was conferred by Order No. 77 of the USSR Minister of Defence, dated April 12, 1961). While in orbit, Gagarin recorded his observations and transmitted them back to Earth. Before him lay the planet as no one had ever seen it before: the curve of the horizon, the luminous blue edge of the atmosphere, coastlines, mountain ranges, vast landmasses – all set against the bottomless black void of space. Almost 90 minutes into the flight, the spacecraft began its descent. At that moment, a highly dangerous emergency arose: the descent module failed to separate immediately from the equipment module. However, as the spacecraft re-entered the dense layers of the atmosphere, the connecting cables between the two sections burned through due to friction, and the descent continued. At 10:42 am, at an altitude of 7 km, the cosmonaut ejected. At 10:53 am, Yuri Gagarin landed safely in a field near the city of Engels, around 4 km from the present-day bank of the Volga. On April 14, 1961, by Decree No. 251/22 of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Yuri Gagarin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, together with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. Two days later, the people of Moscow welcomed the space traveller to the Soviet capital with flowers and celebratory banners. By the end of April, Earth’s first cosmonaut embarked on an international tour to share what he had witnessed with people around the world. In the two years following this historic event, Yuri Gagarin visited more than 30 countries, where he was honoured as a true hero. The tour became unofficially known as the “Mission of Peace”. *** 1️⃣0️⃣6️⃣minutes of Yuri Gagarin's flight changed the course of world history. Just 16 years after the most devastating and bloodiest war in human history, the Soviet people achieved what had only recently seemed impossible – opening the way to space for all humankind. *** 💬 As President Vladimir Putin noted in his message to the participants in the first Russian Space Forum on April 9, 2026: Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight became one of the great events of the 20th century and opened a new era in the history of human civilisation. We are sincerely proud of several generations of talented scientists, designers, cosmonauts, military personnel and civilian specialists who stood at the origins of the national space programme and wrote bright, heroic pages in the chronicle of its victories and achievements. 🇺🇳 Since 2011, April 12 has been observed as the International Day of Human Space Flight, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly under resolution A/RES/65/271 in honour of Yuri Gagarin’s legendary mission. #Gagarin65#FirstInSpace

🚀Attention, space explorers: this is your mission! This year marks the 65th anniversary of humanity’s first journey into space, when Yuri Gagarin made history with the very first manned space flight! 🌍 To celebrate this incredible milestone, the Embassy of Russia in South Africa is launching a Space Time Quiz that’s out of this world! Test your knowledge of space and cosmic discoveries - CLICK HERE And win a special cosmos-themed prize all the way from Russia! Whether you’re a space enthusiast or just curious about the universe, this is your moment to shine like a star in a galaxy! 🤩The quiz will be online until 15 April. Share with your friends and family and good luck! #FirstInSpace#RussiaInSpace#RussianSpaceWeek2026