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April 12 - an Aviation and Cosmonautics Day.
03.04.2026 10:33
On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin, a citizen of our country, orbited the Earth onboard “Vostok” spacecraft for the first time in mankind history. The first spaceflight lasted 108 minutes.
All Russians deeply venerate the 12th of April and all the people involved in aerospace industry - the first cosmonauts, designers, engineers and builders of spacecraft. This holiday is a day of science triumph of our country which has opened the era of manned space missions.
On April 12, we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the first manned space flight.
On this occasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin established "Space Week" as an annual event to boost Russian space industry prestige and education. The central event will be the Russian Space Forum, which will be held on April 9 at the Russia National Centre. Starting with 2026, Space Week in Russia is scheduled to be held annually on April 6-12.
Russian cosmonautics has rich traditions and outstanding achievements, including the creation of the first Salyut space station, the Mir program, which brought together the efforts of different countries, and the Zvezda Service Module, the structural and functional cornerstone of the Russian Orbital Segment on the International Space Station.
It is important not only to celebrate achievements, but also to preserve the memory of those who contributed to the formation and development of Russian cosmonautics, passing on their knowledge to new generations, and to remember the brave heroes who paved the way to space through sacrifice and courage.