For 50 Years Day of Soviet Cosmonautics Turned into "Gagarinfest"

Today the whole world celebrates 50 years after the first flight in space which in our country was called Day of Soviet Cosmonautics - that's the initial name of the holiday which was celebrated on April, 12th. In our country means in the USSR, if someone hasn't got it. The country Russian Federation can not worry, it has no relation to this achievement as son-drunkard selling the rests of the property of daddy-academician can't be called the successor of his school of thought.

Capsule from the spaceship "Vostok 3КА-2" stands in a hall of auction house Sothby's in days of its fiftieth anniversary: the vehicle which was used to send a dog Zvezdochka and a dummy "Ivan Ivanovich" in space would take a jump on World Cosmonautics Day on April, 12th.

How did unique Soviet space vehicle appear on Manhattan?

"In that case exhibit was bought by the American businessman in nineties who was sending it to exhibitions, museums but then we decided to find new owner for capsule, now is the best, simply magic time for its sale - April, 12th, 50 years after Gagarin's fantastic flight", - David Redden, the vice-president of board of auction Sothby's tells.

Do you understand? When marauders pulled boots and frock coat down from the dead man, the American businessman fairly bought them.

50 years ago only two countries - the USSR and the USA - were able to carry out piloted flight. In such sequence, the Soviet Union was the first. We already fell out of a habit - today the USA is on the first place practically everywhere. Who will compete? After half a century neither France, nor Great Britain, nor Germany carry out independent piloted flights. Only some years ago promptly rising China, intending to take vacant place of the second super power of the world, began own program "taikonautics" but as a matter of fact it's repetition of technical achievements of the USSR of semi-centennial remoteness, Chinese should pass long way to reach the USA. Though whether they will pass at all?

It is considered that the USSR conceded leadership in space race when it lost the USA in the lunar program. But it‘s not absolutely so - by and large, the Soviet union was in parity condition in that field up to the end. For example, unique flight of reusable spaceship "Buran" was carried out completely in automatic mode - Americans managed to repeat the same using their Shuttles only 20 years later. Though only winners are honoured, not those who lost the game graciously though it's not the fault of Lozino-Lozinsky and Mikoyan that their project never became what the project Queen became for mankind.

Today the country Russian Federation is still considered one of the world leaders in space but it is all - the Soviet inheritance being eaten up by careless descendants. All these commercial start-ups, joint projects - as a matter of fact are the same as capsule "Vostok 3КА-2" on Sothby's...

What do we celebrate?

The whole world celebrates the fact that Gagarin opened road to space to the mankind. Such country as the Russian Federation as a part of mankind, of course, also has all bases. The same way as Kazakhstan whence the first and all subsequent spaceships were launched. Or Ukraine where they were constructed. Or Mauritius whence shining dot in the night sky was seen best of all.

Humiliating enough funny song of the Soviet period gets today absolutely different meaning:

It is good that Y.Gagarin

Is not Jewish and not Tatar,

Not Tadjik and not Uzbek,

But our Soviet man!

From Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR "About monetary compensation to comrade Gagarin Y.A. for exemplary performance of special task" (April, 13th, 1961):

To allocate Gagarin Yury Alekseevich monetary compensation in the sum of fifteen thousand roubles from reserve fund of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for exemplary performance of special task on accomplishment of the first in the history of mankind flight in space by orbital spacecraft "Vostok". From Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR about presents to Y.A.Gagarin (April, 18^th, 1961, confidential):

1) to recognize as necessary to present the first space pilot of the USSR major Gagarin Y.A. and members of his family a car "Volga", an apartment house, furniture and equipage according to the appendix on behalf of the Government of the USSR.

2) to oblige the Ministry of Defence of the USSR (comrade Malinovsky) to allocate major Gagarin Y.A. four-room apartment at the place of service.

From the appendix to the resolution (confidentially): Furnishings of bedrooms, living room, children's room, cabinet, kitchen. TV "Rubin". Radio-gramophone "Lux". Washing machine. Refrigerator. Vacuum cleaner. Carpet paths. Piano. Bed-clothes - 6 complete sets. Blankets - 2 pieces.

Cloths for Yury Alekseevich Gagarin: demi-season coat. Summer coat. Raincoat. Suits - 2 pcs (light and dark). Footwear - 2 pairs (black and light). Shirts - 6 pcs (white). Napkins - 12 pcs. Silk underwear - 6 pairs. Трусы Cowards, vests - 6 pcs. Ties - 6 pcs. Gloves - 1 pc. Electric razor - 1 pc. Two complete sets of uniform (full dress and daily).. Suitcases - 2 pcs.

The same resolution equipped also the following people: wife, children, parents - mother and father - of Yury Alekseevich. Both brothers and Gagarin's sister got monetary reward - 1000 roubles.

In general that's all. It's for the hero who is forever. Let's compare to equipage of our time heroes - oligarchs, pop stars, pop politicians. Let's also estimate their achievements.

However, one "achievement" should be noted especially: there were no letters "USSR" on the helmet of Yury Gagarin on all posters, photos, even in all shots of the chronicle. Though they were there during his flight into space.

When the USSR died, Soviet people dispersed on a planet - some remained in the Russian Federation or Kirghizia, some went to Israel or the USA, or even to Southern Africa. But Soviet person remained alive after destruction of his country, it is fact. Thus for us, Soviet people, Gagarin is a symbol of national pride though in his Soviet passport in the column "nationality", certainly, was "Russian". It's paradoxical but "uniform generality of people - Soviet people" was not written in the fifth column. What relation Russian descendants of White Guards and, say, helpers of the Nazis settled in the west have to the feat of Soviet man Gagarin? In particular those from them who worked at that time for NASA?

Here one shouldn't forget that Gagarin, as well as all other members of the first group of cosmonauts, was military pilot not at random. The same way as Korolev considered his main achievement creation of ballistic missiles and the space program perceived as a by-effect of the Soviet rocket program.

Space race not casually was carried out by military-industrial complexes of two super powers. It was ingenious, it was as a matter of fact humanely found way to show technical and technological level to the probable opponent without destruction of its cities and factories. Not for nothing Caribbean crisis burst out one and a half year after Gagarin's flight ended not with nuclear war but only with arms race.

There is no global opposition of two systems in the world today. There are conflicts of interests but system, in general, is everywhere the same. Even in "communistic" China. Surely space race isn't necessary for decision of non-global conflicts - everything's being solved either at stock exchange, or at defile of aircraft carriers (who have them). Space race became unprofitable. Space ceased to be dream of mankind as in Isaac Azimov's novel "The End of Eternity" - once mankind got disappointed in its dream of stars and then all ended somehow: "There's a lot of living creatures but not a hint of mankind".

About 500 people flied into space for 50 years after the flight of the first cosmonaut. The lunar program remained the remotest from the Earth step of homo sapiens, at that the USA will manage to repeat it not earlier than in 20 years - if it can at all. All piloted space is in the limits of terrestrial orbit. Mankind doesn't have incentive motives for further advancement.

Soviet person dispersed on a planet and got busy with personal problems. He forgot why Gagarin went to space. Day of Soviet Cosmonautics on the sly became "Gagarinfest"...

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