The TASS photo exhibition "Gagarin: From Family to the Stars" opened on April 12 at the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K. E. Tsiolkovsky in Kaluga. Presented as part of the V Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival, the exhibition is dedicated to Cosmonautics Day and commemorates the 90th anniversary of the first cosmonaut of the planet, who would have turned 90 on March 9.
"We are presenting an exhibition dedicated to our forever-first cosmonaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. Some of these photographs have never been published before. We carefully selected them, and here you will find new angles and fresh emotions connected to Yuri Alekseyevich and his loved ones," said Ilya Lazarev, TASS Director of Visual Content. The TASS archives contain 15,000 photographs documenting the history of cosmonautics and more than 300,000 photographs of modern space exploration.
The exhibition features over 50 archival photographs taken by TASS photojournalists, depicting Gagarin’s life before and after the flight that opened humanity’s path to space. The images preserve the memory of a national hero whose name is forever linked to an era of great Russian achievements.
The exhibition is divided into three sections:
1. "Among His Own"
This section offers rare glimpses into Gagarin’s everyday life, family, and friends. Many of these photographs were taken by Valentin Cheredintsev, a special TASS photojournalist who was the only reporter to have known the first group of cosmonauts before the historic flight.
2. "Around the Earth"
This section captures the tense and emotional atmosphere surrounding the first human spaceflight. As TASS celebrates its 120th anniversary this year, it recalls its historic role in breaking the news of Gagarin’s flight - a moment that became a global sensation. The images depict Gagarin’s pre-launch preparations, the launch of the Vostok-1 spacecraft, as well as mass celebrations in Moscow honoring the milestone event.
3. "Around the World"
Dedicated to Gagarin’s international visits, this section showcases photographs from his journeys to over 30 countries across multiple continents within just three years. Accompanied by TASS reporters, Gagarin became a symbol of unity, bringing people together around the shared dream of space exploration. Visitors will see images of Gagarin’s receptions in Cuba, Canada, Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom, along with moments from his speeches at international forums in Moscow. The section also features a rarely seen photograph of Gagarin laying the foundation stone of the K. E. Tsiolkovsky Museum of Cosmonautics in Kaluga.
The Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival 2024 is held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, State Corporation "Roscosmos", Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Research Institute, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Government and Ministry of Culture of the Kaluga Region, the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics, the Russian Planetarium Association, and other public and commercial organizations.
The festival’s key media partner is TASS, with Roscosmos Media and TRK "Nika" as additional media partners.
"We are presenting an exhibition dedicated to our forever-first cosmonaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. Some of these photographs have never been published before. We carefully selected them, and here you will find new angles and fresh emotions connected to Yuri Alekseyevich and his loved ones," said Ilya Lazarev, TASS Director of Visual Content. The TASS archives contain 15,000 photographs documenting the history of cosmonautics and more than 300,000 photographs of modern space exploration.
The exhibition features over 50 archival photographs taken by TASS photojournalists, depicting Gagarin’s life before and after the flight that opened humanity’s path to space. The images preserve the memory of a national hero whose name is forever linked to an era of great Russian achievements.
The exhibition is divided into three sections:
1. "Among His Own"
This section offers rare glimpses into Gagarin’s everyday life, family, and friends. Many of these photographs were taken by Valentin Cheredintsev, a special TASS photojournalist who was the only reporter to have known the first group of cosmonauts before the historic flight.
2. "Around the Earth"
This section captures the tense and emotional atmosphere surrounding the first human spaceflight. As TASS celebrates its 120th anniversary this year, it recalls its historic role in breaking the news of Gagarin’s flight - a moment that became a global sensation. The images depict Gagarin’s pre-launch preparations, the launch of the Vostok-1 spacecraft, as well as mass celebrations in Moscow honoring the milestone event.
3. "Around the World"
Dedicated to Gagarin’s international visits, this section showcases photographs from his journeys to over 30 countries across multiple continents within just three years. Accompanied by TASS reporters, Gagarin became a symbol of unity, bringing people together around the shared dream of space exploration. Visitors will see images of Gagarin’s receptions in Cuba, Canada, Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom, along with moments from his speeches at international forums in Moscow. The section also features a rarely seen photograph of Gagarin laying the foundation stone of the K. E. Tsiolkovsky Museum of Cosmonautics in Kaluga.
The Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival 2024 is held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, State Corporation "Roscosmos", Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Research Institute, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Government and Ministry of Culture of the Kaluga Region, the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics, the Russian Planetarium Association, and other public and commercial organizations.
The festival’s key media partner is TASS, with Roscosmos Media and TRK "Nika" as additional media partners.