April 12 is the Cosmonautics Day in Russia. On that day in 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yury Gagarin became the first human in space, making an orbital flight in his Vostok spacecraft.

On April 12, 1961, Vostok 8K72K blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome to place into orbit Vostok spacecraft manned by Yury Gagarin.

That flight took just an hour and 48 minutes. Having orbited the Earth, Vostok successfully landed in Saratov Region of Russia. Gagarin ejected himself from the aircraft at the altitude of several kilometers and descended near the place of Vostok’s landing by using the parachute.

Today is no day-off for the ISS crew of Russia and the United States - the astronauts will proceed with regular work on-board of the International Space Station. But chiefs of Russia’s Rocket and Space Industry will come to the Mission Control Center to congratulate the astronauts, and the crew will receive video congratulation of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

www.kommersant.com