A thematic exhibition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the first human space flight will open in Vitebsk
As is known, on April 12, 1961, Soviet pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made the first human space flight in history. This date began to be celebrated as Cosmonautics Day. The title of the Vitebsk exhibition was not chosen by chance - it is a line from a song written by composer Vano Muradeli to the lyrics of poet Yevgeny Dolmatovsky for the film "Towards a Dream" (1963). Over time, the line became a symbolic phrase of the early romantic years of Soviet cosmonautics.
The exhibition is based on the private collection of Valery Shishanov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Regional Museum of Local Lore, and items from the museum's collections. "Posters and postcard series from the 1970s-80s dedicated to space exploration have been selected for the exhibition. A selection of newspapers such as 'Pravda', 'Izvestia', and 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' covers the main milestones in space exploration from 1961 to 1977. A collection of photographs reflects events related to the visits of famous cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Pyotr Klimuk to Vitebsk. Books and magazines dedicated to space exploration complement the exhibition," the museum noted. The exhibition features over 100 items on the history of space exploration.
Of particular interest are Yuri Gagarin's letter to the residents of Vitebsk dated October 30, 1962, and a set of materials transferred to the museum's collections in 2019 by the parents of cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, of Belarusian origin. Unique items include Vitebsk and Vitebsk region flags that have been to space, autographed by Oleg Artemyev. Throughout the history of human space exploration, four Belarusians have been to space: Pyotr Klimuk, Vladimir Kovalyonok, Oleg Novitsky, and Oleg Artemyev.
The exhibition will run until May 7.