Yury Gagarin: A down-to-earth person

Yury Gagarin, the first cosmonaut in the world, remained a down-to-earth and approachable person to the end of his life. He was the first to see our planet from space but he never thought of himself as a star.
August 17, 1961. Yury Gagarin on vacation in Crimea.

Gagarin had a legendary smile. At a news conference devoted to Gagarin’s historic flight, a U.S. reporter asked rhetorically: “Yes, you’ve designed your spacecraft and its orbit, but how did you design your man? Handsome. Smart. Charming. Pleasant. Agreeable. Educated. Athletic. Brave. An aristocratic name and a classic biography. An open face and an inimitable smile.”

Gagarin’s friends recall that he not only loved fishing, but was also “the best at smoking fish.”

Duck shooting was another of Yury Gagarin passions.

These trips gave Gagarin the opportunity to have man-to-man chats with his friends.
October 8, 1966. Pilot-Cosmonauts of the USSR Yury Gagarin and Vladimir Komarov hunting.

A symbolic drink to share with friends.

The pilot’s job required Yury Gagarin to stay in top shape.

It cannot be said, however, that he took up sports solely because of his profession.

He really enjoyed sports.

He seemed to be a master of all elements.

Yury Gagarin was a great hockey fan. The planet’s first cosmonaut had first-hand knowledge of the game. He was captain of the cosmonauts’ ice hockey team Nashi.

Pilot-Cosmonaut Yury Gagarin was also a film enthusiast.

But the days and hours the planet’s first cosmonaut and citizen of the world Yury Gagarin spent with his family were doubtless the happiest.
Photo: March 1, 1965. Yury Gagarin with his youngest daughter Galya.

Rare snapshots: October 21, 1966, Yury Gagarin and his wife Valentina choosing shoes for their daughter.

July 1, 1967. Yury Gagarin, his wife Valentina and daughters Galya and Lena watching a performance at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoi Boulevard.