Public address speaker for radio broadcast in Moscow, 1961. The photograph shows a street scene in Moscow in April 1961, when the news of Yuri Gagarin’s historic space flight was announced over public loudspeakers.

Foreground: A lamppost with loudspeakers, like those used throughout the Soviet Union for radio broadcast of public announcements. The distinctive voice of Yuri Levitan, who announced the first manned space flight, may be heard from them.

Background: A busy square with trolleybuses, typical means of transport in Soviet Moscow, and pedestrians.

Atmosphere: A blend of everyday life and great national enthusiasm — the people experiencing one of the greatest moments in Soviet space flight history.

The photograph captures the historic moment when all of Moscow learned of Gagarin’s flight, and shows how the public was informed through loudspeakers in the urban landscape — a typical element of the Soviet era.