The Capital Meets Its Hero

Moscow Meets the First Cosmonaut (1961)

 

Original Source: Vecherniaia Moskva, April 14, 1961, p. 1

The capital city meets the first cosmonaut. Red Square looks solemn. On the building of GUM, across from the Mausoleum is a huge crimson banner with a portrait of Lenin with the words: “Forward to the victory of communism!”

On both sides of the red calico banner are the slogans: “Long live the Communist Party of the Soviet Union founded by Lenin!” and “Long live the great Soviet people — builders of communism!”

Large decorative carpets with coats of arms of the Soviet Union and the union republics are posted along the Kremlin walls.

A huge mural hangs from the Historical Museum. We see here the State flag of the USSR and a portrait of Lenin: below are depicted the spaceship and hero-cosmonaut Iurii Gagarin. In the center of Red Square, on the Place of the Skulls, decorators built a huge 22-foot space rocket soaring aloft.

The tribune is full. Here, as on all holidays, members and candidate members of the Central Committee of the CPSU, deputies of Supreme Soviet of the USSR and RSFSR, ministers, marshals, generals and admirals, heads of central agencies and departments, inventors from Moscow enterprises and construction sites, agricultural foremost, scientists, cultural figures.

… 2:30 PM. The leaders of the Communist Party and the Soviet government with Iurii Gagarin mount the Mausoleum Tribune. A solemn ceremony begins, dedicated to the great world-historic victory of the Soviet people, the success of the world’s first space flight by our dear compatriot comrade Iurii Gagarin.

The meeting is opened by Comrade F.R. Kozlov, member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, Secretary of the CPSU. The National Anthem of the USSR is played. Again, the square goes in motion, a standing ovation rings out when the world’s first cosmonaut Major Iurii Gagarin approaches the microphone.

Then, with a bright speech by Comrade Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. Like the spring thunder, above the square flare echoing waves of applause, shouts of “Hurray!” “Glory to the Party!”

Young Muscovites presented flowers to the leaders of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, and to the first cosmonaut. One of the pioneers announces that Iurii Gagarin has been made an honorary Pioneer and is listed in the Book of Honor of the All-Union Leninist Pioneer Organization. They tie the scarlet kerchief around the neck of the space hero. Loud applause spread over Red Square.

The meeting is adjourned. Again, our motherland’s Anthem spreads over the square. Its solemn melody gives way to the sound of marches. A demonstration of thousands of worker representatives of the capital set off at 3:12 PM.

Translated by James von Geldern.

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