Radio announcer Yuri Levitan. The photograph shows Yuri Borisovich Levitan, the most famous radio announcer of the Soviet Union, as he announces the news of the first manned space flight on April 12, 1961.
Scene: Levitan sits before a large microphone, wearing a suit, and reads the historic announcement in a serious yet solemn voice.
Words: His broadcast began with “Comrades,…”, followed by the announcement that Yuri Gagarin had become the first human to fly into space.
Brief biography of Yuri Levitan:
Born: 1914 in Vladimir, Russia.
Known as: The Voice of the Soviet Union, as he read all major war news and Stalin’s speeches during World War II.
Significance: Levitan was regarded as the most trustworthy announcer of the USSR — his voice was unmistakable and became associated with important historical moments.
Died: 1983 in Moscow.
The photograph documents a key moment in world history, as Levitan, with his iconic voice, carried the news of Gagarin’s space flight to the world — a symbol of the triumph of Soviet space exploration.