Russia marks Cosmonautics Day — in pictures
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became famous worldwide after his 108-minute flight above the earth 60 years ago.
Larger than life
Yuri Gagrin's status rocketed him to major status even beyond the grave. A statue of him stands on display at the Museum of Cosmonautics.
Festivities above and below
The day has been celebrated every year as Cosmonautics Day since the spaceflight took place in 1961. It is even celebrated underwater at the aquarium at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy.
Keeping children looking up
Students at a school named after Gagarin took part in the day's celebrations outside the Volgograd Planetarium, dressed like the beloved cosmonaut.
Big day for Russian space program
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a visit to the Park of Space Explorers and vowed Russia would remain a space power. "Russia must properly maintain its status as one of the leading nuclear and space powers, because the space sector is directly linked to defense," said Putin during a speech.
Inspiring future cosmonauts
Celerations took place all over Russia. Students of the Far Eastern Federal University demonstrated launched a training space rocket in observance.
The 108-minute test
Competitors take part in a 1,480m (0.92 miles) long course on Cosmonautics Day. All competitors had 1 hour 48 minutes to complete the course, the time Gagarin spent aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft and traveled around the earth.