AstrotalkUK

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Book about Gagarin’s visit to the UK in 1961

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Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

A Smile that Changed the World?

The story of the World’s first spaceman’s five days in the UK 11th – 15th July 1961

 

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Reviews

London Society Journal “This fascinating and well-researched book recounts the legendary Soviet cosmonaut’s visit to the UK in the summer of 1961 at the height of the Cold War, setting it within the context of scientific advance, the political climate in the UK, and Gagarin’s relationship with his political masters in Russia. A timeline is included, as well as much new information from personal interviews with those who met Gagarin, by all accounts a personally charming man who found himself in a difficult and charged political situation.”
Amazon.co.uk “This is a long overdue book.  The memories of the visit to Manchester are great, neighbours of mine were taken by their mother to see Gagarin and that started a wonderful conversation ‘down memory lane’. I am not sure why it has to be ‘London and Manchester’ – better to be Manchester and London. Manchester asked him over, London did not quite know what to do with him as they were in the middle of a cold war with Russia. To the workers over there and here, they were workers and amazed by what Gagarin did…..we had nothing like it here. I think it’s a great book.”

Colin Burgess October 25, 2011. This unpretentious but highly informative book not only reveals details about the hurriedly arranged visit of the world’s first spaceman to England, but gives us a fascinating insight into his personality. Gagarin’s own working life began in a foundry, so he found much in common with the people he wanted to meet, and subsequently got to meet. This was a time clouded in international suspicions, when the Soviet Union was regarded as the philosophical antithesis of the Western world, and yet this remarkably modest and simple man charmed everyone he met with his warm smile and friendly manner. His visit took place in less than a week, and yet this was a truly extraordinary and largely forgotten event that needed to be recorded, and has finally been accomplished in this fine book.”

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Purchase online here. More on  publications@astrotalkuk.org

Episode 47:25th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin Statue in London

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A copy of the statue outside the school near Moscow where Gagarin trained in foundry workLinks to audio and video below.

The 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s UK visit was marked by the unveiling of an aluminium statue of Gagarin, an exact copy of the one outside Lyubertsy Technical School number 10 where Gagarin started his training as a foundryman. The statue, a gift from the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos to the British Council, is located outside the British Council Offices in London but only for one year.

This episode is a collection of some of the speeches and my short interviews during the three events on 14th July. They were the unveiling of the statue in the morning, the lunchtime reception at the Russian Embassy and the evening reception back at the British council.  So, in order of appearance here is a list of all the contributors in this episode

Unveiling of the statue ceremony was opened by

  1. Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council
  2. Vladimir Popovkin Head of Roscosmos (speaking in Russian but with a translator)
  3. Yuri Gagarin’s oldest daughter – Elena Gagarina unveiled the statue
  4. Derek Pullen who provides a brief description of how the statue came from Moscow to London.

Two recordings during the lunchtime Reception at the Russian Embassy where incidentally, Gagarin spent each of his four nights in the UK

  1. The Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko,
  2. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who holds the record for the longest time spent in space

British Council Evening reception

  1. Nataliya Koroleva. Chief Designer Sergei Korolev’s daughter. Who gave me a gentle rebuke whilst looking through my book “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and seeing a photograph of Wernher von Braun and Herman Oberth but not of her father!
  2. The episode ends with Ambassador Yakovenko briefly recalling his recent meeting with the queen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korolev’s daughter, grand daughter and great grand daughter

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Episode 46:10th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. New Book and Personal recollections

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Gagarin approaching Manchester Town hall On his first visit outside the eastern bloc, Yuri Gagarin arrived in London for a 5 day visit on Tuesday July 11th 1961. He was greeted with a tumultuous and sincere warm welcome everywhere he went including his meetings with the Prime minister and the Queen. The British government juggled with acknowledging Gagarin personal courage and the Soviet Union’s historic technological achievement whilst assuring its allies, USA, France and West Germany that the visit would not be exploited exclusively as a communist propaganda opportunity.
When the Manchester based Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers discovered that Gagarin had trained as a foundry worker, they invited him to join their union as a honorary member.  He came to Manchester on 12th July and visited the union office, the Metrovicks plant in Trafford Park and the city’s town hall before flying back to London six hours later.

During the late seventies I had lived near this union office and only discovered in 2010 that Gagarin had actually been there. I looked but failed to find any books on the subject so I decide to write one. It is called “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and attempts to fill in a small bit of the Gagarin story.

The first and last chapters describe Gagarin’s flight, some of the key individuals involved, the air crash that claimed his life in 1968 and his personal impact as an advocate of peace during the Cold War.  In the remaining chapter – 2-7, I document the background to his invitation and details of where he went and who he met.  Some of those recollections are the subject of this episode. It includes clips from Captain Eric Brown and Reg Turnill, longer versions of which are available in episodes 40 and 41.  My thanks to those who contributed to this episode – Reg Turnill, Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Brenda Knowles, Marjorie Rose, Stanley Nelson, Captain Eric Brown and Stanislava Sajawizc.

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester
185 Pages, 27 Illustrations
ISBN 978-0-9569337-0-6
Paperback £10.00 (+postage) and eBook (iPad and Kindle) £2.50 available from publications@astrotalkuk.org
Download a pdf   of  the page of contents, Chapter 2 “An Uneasy Invitation” and the text above or all three in a zip file.

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Recollections of Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo.

Episode 44: 15th May 2011: First Orbit and Manchester’s Yuri Gagarin Exhibition

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Another Yuri Gagarin episode, I know the anniversary of the world’s first spaceflight is over but there is still lots going on over the next few months. There are two contributors in this episode, Chris Riley and Richard Evans.

One of the most successful projects to mark the anniversary is the film First Orbit. The only camera aboard Vostok 1 was on the inside, transmitting live pictures of Gagarin’s face to the nervous engineers who anxiously monitored mankind’s first experience of spaceflight. First Orbit is a remarkably accurate recreation of what Gagarin would have seen compiled from high definition video shot from the space station. Astonishingly, this undertaking of international proportions, was put together by numerous unpaid volunteers and almost three million who have seen it, saw it for free.  It is still available for viewing online and for download – still free. If you want to make a contribution and have a smart phone (Android or Iphone) the First Orbit app will set you back about 70 pence.

First Orbit was produced and directed by Chris Riley along with many other volunteers. Chances are you have already seen the film. Also available from firstorbit.org website is a short but  facinating video about the making of First Orbit.  Chris Riley talks about his next project “Orbit” but begins with how the idea of First Orbit came about.

Yuri Gagarin was in Britain for 5 days, he spent the second one, Wednesday 12th July 1961, in Manchester.  A major in the Soviet Air Force he started off his career as foundryman.  During his six hours in the city, he visited the head quarters of the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers in Old Trafford, the Metropolitan Vickers Engineering plant in Trafford Park and concluded with a civic reception in Manchester Town Hall.

The only event in Manchester to mark the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s vist  is an exhibition at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale running through until 17th August 2011. The exhibition and program of events have been driven by the science fiction author Richard Evans. He talks about the exhibitiion but starts with his current writing project.

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Today’s quote is from Yuri Gagarin asserting his working class roots during his Manchester visit.

“Although I am doing a different job now, I am still a foundry worker at heart”

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http://www.firstorbit.org/how-we-made-the-film