Gagarin Statue Set To Be Unveiled At Russian Cultural Gardens In US State Of Ohio

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th August, 2019) The statue of the first human in space, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, will be unveiled on Sunday at the Russian Cultural Gardens in Cleveland in the US state of Ohio, the organization's board President Svetalna Stolyarova told Sputnik.

The Russian Cultural Gardens is a non-profit organization established in 2011 and dedicated to promoting the Russian Heritage and Russian culture in the United States. A two-day ceremony in honor of Gagarin began on Saturday with the special gala event at the science center.

"It is a beautiful bronze bust created by sculptor Aleksey Leonov," Stolyarova said.

On April 12, 1961, a booster rocket took the Vostok spacecraft into orbit carrying Gagarin - the first person to ever travel to space. After orbiting the Earth once, the re-entry module landed on the territory of what was then the Soviet Union.

This achievement, Stolyarova said, made Gagarin what she called a "planetary figure."

"He realized the humankind dream of space exploration," she said. "Gagarin is a unifying, non-political figure well-known throughout the world that does not raise any controversial discussions or objections."

Stolyarova noted that Gagarin's statue will become the first monument at the Russian Cultural Garden's new alley called Walk of Fame.

The statue was donated by International Charitable Fund "Dialogue of Cultures - United World" President Ruslan Bairamov who has presented more than 50 statues of Gagarin to different organization throughout the world.

Since 2018, the Walk of Fame has been decorated with more than 100 commemorative plates dedicated to Russian saints, famous writers, artists, doctors, musicians and others.