RLOPCUkraineBlog: Happy International Aviation and Cosmonautics Day! (A Little Late)

I bet you didn't know this was a holiday, did you? And neither did I! Yes indeed, 12 April is celebrated, mainly in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, as the day of space travel and cosmonauts. (http://noosphereglobal.com/international-aviation-and-cosmonautics-day/) This is a special day for many reasons, chief among those is that on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin flew the first manned (not dogged) space flight and further freaked out the non-Soviet nations still reeling from Sputnik several years before. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmonautics_Day) This holiday is even more significant in my city of Zhytomyr because it is the home of Sergei Korolev, who many consider to be the father of practical astronautics. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Korolev) For years his name was kept secret for fear by the KGB that the CIA would assassinate him. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, his vital role in the early success of the Soviet space program was slowly revealed. Not only is his home a museum but there are streets and squares named after him. On this day his home is open to the public and there are special events at the space museum across the street. Having that museum there must have inspired him to do his work, don't you think? Or was it mere serendipity?

There was a special buzz in the town on this day. It started with a flower-laying ceremony at his statue in the main square. It was impressed by the respect that this town pays its heroes even many years after they have passed on. I expected a mainly older crowd but I was excited to find many young people there to watch the festivities. It stated at the stroke of ten when the bells chimed on the city clock. At that moment, a line of people marched towards Korolev's statue and placed flowers at the base. Next, an honor guard marched forward and then split to either side of the statue to stand guard. Finally, who units of troops smartly trooped the colors across the square. And with that the ceremony was over. But the festivities continued with a children's event at the space museum. Among the events was a picture exhibition. You can see some of the works of art displayed below. All in all it was a fascinating day.