On March 9, 1934, in the small town of Gzhatsk (now Gagarin), Gzhatsky District (now Gagarinsky) of Smolensk Region, a boy was born in an ordinary working-class family, who was to become the very First.
The boy was named Yura. His mother, Anna Timofeevna (1903-1984), and his father, Aleksey Ivanovich (1902-1973), were ordinary rural workers from the village of Klushino, Gzhatsky district. Yura was the third child in the family, he had an older brother Valentin (1924-2006) and a sister Zoya (born in 1927). Two years after the birth of Yura, the fourth child in the family was born, who was named Boris (1936-1977).
Little Yura grew up inquisitive since childhood, he was always distinguished by a thirst for knowledge. On September 1, 1941, he went to school, but the school was quickly evacuated to another place, since on October 12, Wehrmacht troops occupied the village. It is known that the first teacher of Gagarina, Ksenia Gerasimovna Filippova, tried to teach children, every week conducting classes in houses that were not yet occupied by the Germans. But in the last free house, the criminals organized a stable and the children were kicked out of the house.
The Germans behaved in a brutal manner, with particular cruelty to the local residents. The Germans defined the Gagarins' house as workshops, and the owners had to live in a dugout, which they dug with their own hands. Once Aleksey Ivanovich, working at the mill, refused to grind grain out of turn for a woman sent by the German commandant's office, and for this he was severely punished. Once Borya, Yura's younger brother, approached the workshop out of curiosity, and the fascist grabbed him by the scarf tied around his neck and hung him on an apple branch with this scarf. It's good that some boss called him, and Yura and his mother saved Boris. They took him to his dwelling and barely brought him to his senses.
Soviet troops liberated the village of Klushino on April 9, 1943, and 9-year-old Yura began to study at school again. Studied in one room
at once the first and third classes. There was no ink, no pencils, no notebooks. The chalkboard was found, but the chalk was not found. Write
learned from old newspapers. If they could get hold of brown paper or a piece of old wallpaper, then everyone was happy. On lessons
arithmeticists were now folding not sticks, but cartridge cases.
For the new year 1946, the Gagarin family moved to Gzhatsk. After moving to Gzhatsk, Yura was accepted into the third grade of the Gzhatsk basic school at the local pedagogical school, in which both teachers and students of the school taught.
Yura studied with passion. But this school was elementary, so in the fifth and sixth grade Gagarin studied already in a secondary school in the city of Gzhatsk. By 1973, this building had become just a residential building, on Sovetskaya Street, 91. This is how they write in many sources, at the same time, for example, a certificate has survived, in which it is written: that he won the cross-country race at a distance of 500 meters with a result of 1 minute 36, 2 seconds."
There, for the first time in the sixth grade, when they began teaching physics, he began to study in a physics circle organized by the teacher Lev Mikhailovich Bespalov.
At the beginning of the sixth grade, he became a pioneer. I was engaged in physical education. In the winter of 1948, Gagarin won a school-wide tournament - the competition "Who will pull up the most on the horizontal bar?" His record was 16 times. This was beyond the power of the rest. Later, at the vocational school, Gagarin will be awarded a certificate for winning the Spartakiad of the Crafts School in the 100 meter run with a score of 12.8 seconds, as well as in the 4 x 100 meter relay. In the relay, he ran this hundred meters in 12.4 seconds (the letter was preserved).
On April 29, 1951, a student of RU No. 10 at the Lyubertsy plant of agricultural machinery received certificate No. 1295887 that he completely passed the established norms and has the right to wear the badge "Ready for Labor and Defense of the USSR"
From the characteristics issued at the end of the school: “… Gagarin Yu. A. for two years he was an excellent student, was entered on the Board of Honor of the school. Directorate of the school Gagarin Yu. A. gratitude for excellent study and community service was announced twice. In addition, the director of the plant expressed gratitude to him for the good work in the shop. The student Gagarin was the group's physician, conscientiously and accurately fulfilled all the instructions of the Komsomol organization and the school administration."
Historian Boris Lvovich Stolyarzh even cites the results of the Mytishchi sports tests: “Within two days, Yuri Gagarin demonstrated quite high results in front of the examiners in various types of competitions. length 5 meters 11 centimeters, wrung out 26 times, received the highest mark when performing a special gymnastic complex."
In 1951, Yura went to Saratov to enter the Saratov Industrial Pedagogical College in his foundry specialty. In his application for admission to the technical school, Gagarin wrote:
“To the director of the Saratov Industrial College of the Ministry of Labor Reserves from a student of vocational school No. 10 of group No. 21 Gagarin Yuri Alekseevich, who was born in 1934 in the Smolensk region of the Gzhatsky district, Klushinsky s / s, the village of Klushino. Member of the Komsomol since 1949.
Statement.
I ask you to enroll me as a student of the technical school entrusted to you, as I wish to improve my knowledge in the field of foundry and bring as much benefit to my homeland as possible. I undertake to fulfill all the requirements for me honestly and implicitly. 1951-06-07. Pupil RU-10 Gagarin.
There is also an autobiography written by Yu. A. Gagarin upon entering the technical school.
Autobiography
I, Gagarin Yuri Alekseevich, was born on March 9, 1934 in the family of a poor peasant. Father - Gagarin Alexey Ivanovich - was born in 1902, invalid of the Patriotic War. Mother - Gagarina Anna Timofeevna - was born in 1903. Brother - Gagarin Boris Alekseevich - was born in 1936, currently studies at the Gzhatskaya NSSH.
In 1943 he went to the Klushinsky elementary school. In 1945 he moved with his family to the city of Gzhatsk. He entered the Gzhatsk secondary school, graduated from six classes there and entered to study at RU # 10 in Lyubertsy. In 1950 he went to study in the seventh grade of the Lyubertsy school of working youth No. 1. In 1951 he graduated from the seventh grade of this school with excellent marks.
On December 16, 1949, he joined the Komsomol. Both on the part of the Komsomol organization and on the part of the administration of the school I have no penalties.
Yuri Gagarin.
On October 25, 1954, Gagarin began training at the Saratov flying club. In 1955 he graduated with honors from the Saratov Industrial College, and on October 10 of the same year - from the Saratov Aero Club.
Since 1955, Gagarin has been in the ranks of the Soviet Army. From 1957 until he joined the cosmonaut corps, he served as a fighter pilot in the fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet. He had the qualification "Military pilot of the 1st class".
On October 27, 1957, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin married Valentina Ivanovna Goryacheva, who became his faithful companion for many years. Their family brought up two daughters - Lena (born on April 10, 1959) and Galya (born on March 7, 1961).
On December 26, he was summoned to a new destination: the fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet. Having learned about the recruitment of candidates for testing new flight equipment, Yu. A. Gagarin wrote a report on December 9, 1959 with a request to enroll him in such a group, and after being called on December 18, he leaves for Moscow, to the Central Research Aviation Hospital for a health examination.
On March 3, 1960, Lieutenant General of Aviation Kamanin presented to the Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Vershinin, a group of selected pilots - candidates for cosmonauts.
On March 11, Yuri Gagarin together with his family left for a new place of work, and on March 25 regular classes began under the cosmonaut training program.
Flight Preparation
Before his flight into space, Yu. A. Gagarin was at the cosmodrome only once during a business trip related to the preparation and launch of a satellite spacecraft with a dog Zvezdochka on board in March 1961. The footage of the film shot at the time, where, during a collective discussion, Gagarin proposed to name the dog as an asterisk has been preserved.
Before the flight into space, Yu. A. Gagin in the "shock" six arrived on April 05, 1961 at the cosmodrome. The days leading up to launch were packed with activities and training.
Finally, on April 10, an official meeting of the State Commission took place, which finally approved Senior Lieutenant Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin as a pilot for the first flight into space. Titov German Stepanovich and Nelyubov Grigory Grigorievich were appointed as substitutes.
April 10, Yu. A. Gagarin wrote a farewell letter to his family.
Letter written on April 10, 1961 by Yu. A. Gagarin, on checkered sheets.
“Hello, my dear, beloved Lelechka, Helen and Galochka! I decided to write a few lines for you to share with you and share together the joy and happiness that fell to me today.
Today a government commission decided to send me into space first. You know, dear Valyusha, how glad I am, I want you to be glad together with me.
An ordinary person was entrusted with such a big state task - to pave the first road into space!
Can you dream big?
After all, this is history, this is a new era.
I have to start in a day. At this time you will already be minding your own business. A very big task fell on my shoulders. I would like to spend a little time with you before that, to talk to you. But, alas, you are far away. Nevertheless, I always feel you next to me.
I believe in technology completely. She must not fail. But it happens that even out of the blue a person falls and breaks his neck. Something could happen here too. But I don’t believe it yet. Well, if something happens, then I ask you, and first of all, you, Valyusha, not to be grief-stricken. After all, life is life, and no one is guaranteed that he will not be run over by a car tomorrow. Please take care of our girls, love them as I love.
Grow out of them not white-handed people, not mothers' daughters, but real people who would not be afraid of the bumps of life. Raise people worthy of a new society - communism.
The state will help you with this. Well, arrange your personal life as your conscience tells you, as you see fit. I do not impose any obligations on you, and I have no right to do so. Something too mournful letter turns out. I myself do not believe in it. I hope you never see this letter. And I will be ashamed in front of myself for this fleeting weakness. But if something happens, you must know everything to the end.
So far I have lived honestly, truthfully, for the benefit of people, although it was small.
Once in my childhood I read the words of V. P. Chkalova: "If to be, then to be the first." That's what I try to be and will be to the end. I want, Valechka, to devote this flight to the people of the new society, communism, into which we are already entering, our great Motherland, our science.
I hope that in a few days we will be together again, we will be happy. Valya, please, do not forget my parents, if there is an opportunity, then help them in something. Give them my big regards, and let them forgive me for not knowing anything about this, and they were not supposed to know. Well, that seems to be all. Goodbye, my family. I hug and kiss you tightly, with greetings, your dad and Yura.
10.4.61.y. Gagarin.
“I read this letter many years later,” recalled Valentina Ivanovna. - I read and solved for myself the problem of higher human mathematics: what is behind these words? Doubt? No! Honesty…"
To this commentary V. I. It is difficult for Gagarina to add something.
108 minutes that changed history
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin forever left his name in history. 108 minutes in Space became the first step of all Mankind on the way to conquering cosmic distances. 108 minutes that changed history. At the start, he uttered the legendary phrase "LET'S GO!" He himself later wrote about this:
In commemoration of the merits of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, he was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, while it was decided to erect a monument to him in Moscow. The decision is unprecedented - during his lifetime in the USSR, monuments were erected only to persons who became twice Heroes of the Soviet Union, and only in the homeland of the Hero. The gold star with the number 11175 was awarded to Yu. A. Gagarin on April 14, 1961 in the Kremlin.
After the flight into space on Yu. A. Gagarin's unprecedented glory literally fell. Not everyone could stand such a test. But he held out, proving the correctness of the choice of cosmonaut No. 1 by General Designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.
Foreign trips began at the invitation of heads of government, heads of state, and various public organizations.
Each visit of Yu. A. Gagarin became an event for the receiving state and a test for Yu. A. Gagarin. Spitting on secular manners, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, not hiding her indescribable delight, as an ordinary girl was photographed with the Hero. He was a welcome guest in any part of the World, in every country he was greeted as they had never met anyone else - he was not only the First in Space, but also the First Citizen of the World. And his kind and sincere smile sometimes did more for the reconciliation of many peoples and countries than the long-term negotiations of diplomats.
Unfortunately, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin died on March 27, 1968, at the age of 34, together with Colonel Seryogin on the MiG-15UTI.
But not in our hearts. His first flight will always inspire the boys to dream of conquering the Universe.
As sung in one beautiful song:
I believe, friends, caravans of missiles
They will rush us forward from star to star!
On the dusty paths of distant planets
Our traces will remain !!!
For the birthday of Yuri Alekseevich, I composed the following poem:
DEDICATED TO YURI ALEXEEVICH GAGARIN'S BIRTHDAY
March 9, 2013, 7:07
Among countries, cities, among mountains and seas
Among the stars and cosmic distances
All over the World with a bright smile they say
The sonorous name of the guy is GAGARIN!
He is a Hero. Patriot. Son of his Motherland!
The ruler of the strong fortress of the spirit.
He is the ruler of the sky, the stars, and the planets
The First of the Cosmos, he is the Conqueror.
Human Memory will not forget
Your eternal cosmic feat!
As he said, having gone into eternity, "LET'S GO!"
And he waved his hand goodbye!
