Photo location: Baikonur Cosmodrome (then Tyuratam) in Kazakhstan — preparation for Yuri Gagarin’s first manned space flight on April 12, 1961.

Yuri Gagarin before the space flight. Significance of the mission:
On April 12, 1961, Gagarin launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Vostok-1 rocket and orbited the Earth in 108 minutes.
He transmitted the famous phrase “Поехали!” (Let’s go!) from space — a symbol for the beginning of the human space age.
After re-entry, Gagarin ejected from the capsule with a parachute, as Vostok was not designed for a gentle landing.
This photograph documents a milestone in space history, symbolizing the Soviet Union’s superiority in the space race at that time and laying the foundation for future manned missions.