Photo location: Construction and assembly of the Vostok spacecraft capsule at the design bureau OKB-1 (today RKK Energiya) in Podlipki near Moscow (today Korolev), under the direction of Sergei Korolev.

Vostok spacecraft capsule. The photo shows the Vostok spacecraft capsule with which Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space on April 12, 1961. A “Space First” achievement of Soviet spaceflight.

Description of the spacecraft capsule:
The Vostok 1 was a spherical spacecraft capsule with a diameter of approximately 2.3 meters, designed for a single person.
It consisted of two main components: the landing capsule, in which Gagarin sat, and an instrument module that was separated during reentry.
The capsule was equipped with life support systems, a small window, and control instruments.

Significance of the flight:
On April 12, 1961, Gagarin launched with the Vostok-1 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and orbited the Earth in 108 minutes.
From space he transmitted the famous words “Poyekhali!” (Let’s go!) – a symbol for the beginning of the human space age.
After reentry, Gagarin ejected from the capsule with a parachute, as the Vostok was not designed for a soft landing.

The photo documents a milestone in space history that symbolized the Soviet Union’s superiority in the space race at that time and laid the foundation for future crewed missions.