Rocket Geeks of the World -- UNITE!

Vladimir and Tatiana learned early on for my interest in the Russian/Soviet space program. I told them I wanted to see the large statue of Yuri Gagarin on Leninsky Prospect. Isn't an appropriate name for this statue Robo-Yuri?

Since things were dragging with respect to our official business, they took us to see that statue on Wednesday morning.

Another thing about Moscow, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a statue dedicated to somebody. Poets, artists, hero's, soldiers, generals, peasants, etc. There is only one left of Lenin, which we saw in the car shortly after seeing Robo-Yuri. You won't see any statues of Stalin, except for one behind Lenin's mausoleum in Red Square.

I tried to get pictures of Robo-Yuri from a few angles. If Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, or some other Japanese monster ever attacks Moscow, I nominate Robo-Yuri to step off his pedestal to defend the mother city. That would be a classic!

This football (soccer ball) looking thing is a representation of the Vostok sharik (capsule) Yuri rode in. Vladimir, who didn't speak much English, joked I needed to run up and kick it...Funny how I could understand what he was saying just by hearing "fut-bol". Honestly, I was thinking it reminded me of a soccer ball when he said it.

After the Robo-Yuri statue, which was southeast of the center of Moscow, we drove North of the center to the vicinity of the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh). It was constructed in Stalinist times to spotlight Soviet economic achievements. It has beautiful fountains, sculptures, statues, and gardens. There are rides for children. After the collapse of the Communist System it reverted from exhibits to a bunch of stores/shops. Now it is moving back to an exhibit.

It is a big Central Park/Golden Gate Park kind of place. Winter is NOT the best time to go there. Hopefully we can go back in Spring and actually walk the grounds of it. Towards the back end of it, they have a beautiful example of a Vostok rocket that launched Robo-Yuri into space.













Outside the entrance, there are a series of statues dedicated to some of the early pioneers of Russian Cosmonautics. They have statues of engineers like Korolev, Glushko, and Keldish as well as statues of cosmonauts -- Gagarin, Tereskova (1st woman), Leonov (1st space walk), Beyalev, and Komorov (1st to die in space).

Then, a short walk from the statues there is a large memorial to cosmonautics. In front is a large statue of Tsiolkovsky, the developer of the all important "rocket equation." I groveled at the feet of this statue in an attempt to extract more delta-V from the equation. Sorry...geek joke. Move along from here. Nothing to see...

Behind Tsiolkovsy's statue is the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics. It was closed and we didn't have time to go into it any way. Inside are a few exhibits showcasing the early part of the Soviet space program. The first dogs to return from space alive, Belka and Strelka are there. The dogs are preserved in a state similar to comrade Lenin.

The outside of the museum is capped with a tremendously tall statue made of Titanium. They spent a mint on that thing. To me, it looks like a German V2. I would NOT ever say that in Russia, but they stuck a V2 on top of that pedestal. I would have shot the architect if it were me...

Both of the sides of the museum are flanked with engravings telling the story of the Soviet space flight experience. Unfortunately, some it has been desecrated with graffiti! ACK! The one place we saw graffiti and it was here! ACK! I must confess, the swastika on Lenin's head was funny. But don't be dissing the cosmonauts. I pity da' fools. Slap my fro'!!!

There is a story flow to the mural. Moving from the right to left, Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereskova are holding a baby symbolizing the birth of a new era of humanity. To their left is the Chief Designer Korolev holding the capsule that carried them forward. Other cosmonauts are depicted, towards the back the people are hammering and building and doing what the people do. Behind them all, pointing the way to their future, is Lenin. Barf!!! You always have to get that guy in the mix. If you look closely, you can see a piece of the swastika that has been painted onto his head. Look how small I am compared to these figures! They did things grand and BIG back then.

After soaking in the aura of these statues, we went to the local coordinator's office and sat in what I called the "ice box" for a while at the office (see previous post of pictures of Wendy waiting). Sometimes I wonder if they put us (me) in there to cool us down. After a "discussion" on how things were progressing, we went out again sight-seeing. We rode the Moscow metro system, which will be the subject of another separate post.