#OTD 59 years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the 1st person in space & the 1st person to orbit the Earth.

Starting the following year in 1962 until today, the Soviet—& now Russia & many of the countries that used to be part of the USSR—celebrate Cosmonautics Day.

2/
I thought it was too good (and coincidental) an opportunity to not talk about Cosmonautics Day for #SovietSpaceSundays!

So, as Yuri Gagarin said when his rocket ignited: "Poekhali!" (Let& #39;s go!)

3/
The most elaborate ritual for Cosmonautics Day is in Russia, where a procession starts in Korolyov & goes to Red Square in Moscow to visit Gagarin& #39;s grave in the Kremlin Wall & ends in parades and celebration.

4/
However, the current #COVID__19 pandemic has led to waves of postponements for Cosmonautics Day celebrations.

The mayor of Moscow decided last month to postpone this year& #39;s Cosmonautics Day to October 4th.

5/ https://tass.com/society/1130967 ">https://tass.com/society/1...
Cosmonautics Day is not just about visiting grave sites and it is definitely not a somber affair!

Many people dress themselves (and their pets!) up and the atmosphere can be quite jovial and fun!

6/
And celebrations don& #39;t only take place on Earth!

Earlier today Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka, Anatoly Ivanishin, and Ivan Wagner wished the world a Happy Cosmonautics Day from the @Space_Station!

7/
After the day’s celebrations, there are official galas for cosmonauts, technicians, & other space professionals to celebrate their accomplishments.

This photo is from one of those galas in 2011. Pictured is Alexei Leonov & Yuri Gagarin’s widow Valentina Gagarina.

8/
In 2001, @YurisNight was established to celebrate global space milestones, rather than just missions conducted by the USSR/Russia.

It too is celebrated on April 12 every year. Many of this year& #39;s events were canceled, but there was a global webcast last night to celebrate.

9/
Hopefully next year we will be able to celebrate Cosmonautics Day in person again.

Hell, hopefully I will be able to be in Moscow in October to celebrate this year& #39;s postponed celebrations.

Until then...let& #39;s stay safe & healthy & stay home!

10/
If you enjoy my #SovietSpaceSundays, or just me in general, consider enabling my research on Patreon.

As I& #39;ve said before, my fieldwork has been indefinitely postponed & my future is precarious. Anything helps!

Thanks/Спасибо & see you next time!

11/11 http://www.patreon.com/trgenovese ">https://www.patreon.com/trgenoves...
You can follow @trgenovese.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: