Celebrations on small motherland of the first spaceman of Planet

Festivities devoted to birthday of the first spaceman Jury Gagarin and to opening of the 39-th. International social and scientific reading has taken place in Gagarin.

On the 9-th of March 2012 the first spaceman of Planet would celebrate his 78-th birthday. Cosmonauts and other numerous guests came traditionally in Gagarin to honor memory of the first spaceman of Planet.

Fellow-countrymen of Jury Gagarin met «astral group of visitors» on the border of Smolensk and Moscow regions in the lead of astronauts of the first detachment, twice Heroes of the Soviet Union Aleksey Leonov and Victor Gorbatko. Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Michail Kornienko, representatives of the first space family Alexander Volkov and Sergey Volkov, Sergey Krikalyov - head of cosmonaut training center, Jury Lonchakov - space detachment commander arrived to the motherland of the first spaceman. Group of young officers among them Alexander Samokutyaev – the last cosmonaut and project group «Mars-500» were also invited as guests.

All guests laid flowers on graves of Jury Gagarin parents – Anna Timofeevna and Aleksey Ivanovich.

Vice-governors Aleksey Murygin and Peter Lopashinov welcomed all audiences of ceremonial meeting on the main square of Gagarin city. Aleksey Leonov - twice Hero of the Soviet Union was greeted by native of Gagarin with great pleasure. He wished to audience keep in mind their legendary fellow-countryman which realized bold plans of Konstantin Tsyolkovskiy and Sergey Korolyov.

Guests visited Center of space services. Activity of this center gains momentum constantly. Center of space services provides services in the scope of safety related systems public and school transportation facilities, control of state of land allotments and agricultural lands.

Further guests divided into groups to participate in meetings with school teams and crew of military command. Group of young officers went with separate bus to village Klushino where Jury Gagarin was born to visit museum.

Group of guests made their way to survey tour of children's crafts center «Zvyozdniy» that is under construction now. Delegation inspected audience hall, discussed technical points of current building process and also possibility of observatory functioning.

At the same time All-Russian tournament for sambo wrestling devoted to memory of Jury Gagarin was opened by spaceman Maxim Suraev. Wrestlers from Tver and Mozhaisk, Ryazan, Pskov and Gagarin, Moscow and Moscow region, Smolensk struggled simultaneously on both areas for the first place.

In school hall of middle school Nr. 4 named after Aleksey Leonov took place panel game KVN - Club of the Funny and Inventive and communication with spaceman Alexander Samokutyaev. He was taken into detachment «Gagarintsy». Young spaceman told about his cosmic flight, that falls on celebration of the 50-th anniversary from the first man-in-space-flight in 2011: «On Cosmonautics Day our crew was permanently on call – there were a lot of interviews, greetings «from outer space», communications with people of the whole earth. My first outer space flight on the 12-th of April left an impression for all my further life».

Aleksey Leonov arrived into school named after his name while children communicated with young cosmonauts. Schoolchildren friendly applauded when Aleksey Leonov appeared in corridor: they not only know after whose name their school is named but constantly communicate with their hero and idol. Scholl museum is opened also for guests of educational institution, is replenished with new exhibits that are given to children by Aleksey Leonov.

Solemn evening devoted to the 78-th anniversary from the birthday of Jury Gagarin and opening of the 39-th International social and scientific reading took place in concert hall of children's center «Komsomolets».

In the lobby of center «Komsomlets» were placed numerous exhibitions. Before the beginning of   celebrations heads of the Belorussian city Orsha and Gagarin city signed an agreement about  economic and cultural collaboration.

Performance of Iosif Kobzon became a long-expected present for all participants of celebrations. Songs, jokes and remembers about collaborations with cosmonauts triggered a lot of good emotions.

At the close of the evening Vladimir Ivanov – the Head of Administration of Gagarin district thanked all guests for the visit and introduced «gold reserves» – youth people that are the best in studies, social duty, sports and creative development in Gagarin district. Every year, on the 9-th of March takes place the solemn acknowledgment ceremony of winners awarding named after Jury Gagarin.