Yuri Gagarin loved his family — his wife and two daughters, brothers and sister, mom and dad. Another, called a family member of the astronaut became the chief designer of the Soviet Union Sergei Korolev. “Space dad” — the so-called Sergei Pavlovich Gagarin. The history of their acquaintance and friendship, as well as one gift that made the Queen the daughter of his “cosmic son” — in joint material mos.ru and the Agency “Moscow”.
the Pilots included in the first group of cosmonauts of the Soviet Union, had to overcome many hard trials and training. A long time has maintained an atmosphere of secrecy, future astronauts knew nothing about the date of launch, nor about the ships ready to fly, neither of those who built them.
the First time Yuri Gagarin and his comrades saw of Sergei Korolev after training at the Institute of aviation medicine. At some point they went to meet a pudgy man. Future cosmonauts realized that came to an important man — he was immediately surrounded by people. Meeting pilots with him was short: he introduced himself as “Professor Sergeev”, asked a few questions and soon left. The evening of the same day the chief of the cosmonaut training Center Yevgeny Karpov told his players the secret that came to him, the king himself.
a Personal acquaintance Korolev with Gagarin and other members of the squad took place somewhat later, in the courtroom of the Special design Bureau led by Korolev. Sergey Pavlovich came to each pilot, said Hello and asked a few questions. When came the turn of Gagarin, he immediately found with the chief designer of a common language.
many years later, another legendary Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov recalled that immediately after the meeting with the chief constructor has completed, Gagarin said: “Yur, you know, but the choice fell.” “Come on, you thought,” he answered, then future astronaut number one.
Between Gagarin and Korolev lined up a warm relationship, and the first even often act as a bridge between the astronauts and the chief designer. For all their “horelica” Korolev felt fatherly feelings, but to Gagarin had a special relationship. Sergey Pavlovich saw in him great potential and called him “the personification of youth of the planet”. Despite the large difference in age (the king was 27 years older), Sergey Pavlovich spoke to the astronaut in my name: Yuri.
after Gagarin made his legendary flight, he gave the chief designer in the suit. “Dear Sergey Pavlovich — the cosmic father as a sign of sincere respect and gratitude”, — he wrote on it.
preparations for the first manned flight into space was strictly classified — the start did not suspect nor the inhabitants of the USSR or Yesthe family of Yuri Gagarin. About running everything learned only after the fact when it reported on the radio. Return the hero home looking forward to Valentina Gagarina wife and two small daughters, Lena and Galia.
the First child was born in a young family 17 APR 1959, when the future cosmonaut was serving in the Murmansk region. Care of little Lena robbed Yuri almost all my free time. The harsh climate of the Arctic, which was used to Yuri and Valentina, felt the health of the child shortly after birth, the little girl got sick with boils. Cured it in the birthplace of the father, where the family went in the summer to visit grandma and grandpa. After returning from this vacation Yury Alekseevich has submitted a letter of acceptance to a group of candidates in cosmonauts.
another addition to the family was when the family moved to Moscow. In his book “the word of the son,” the mother of astronaut Anna Timofeevna was told that he was waiting for his grandson, and he was confident in the birth of another girl. March 7, 1961 Valentina gave birth to a daughter who was named Galina. Yuri was happy, he wanted to spend with my family every spare minute. In these moments, he helped his wife at home and long tinkered with their daughters. He valued every moment, because in April of the same year, were waiting for him the most important mission in life.
the Frequent absence of the father was for girls commonplace, but each time it was hard to part with it. In 1964, they (high five) decided to pass through the Pope his boss Sergey Pavlovich its toy — a red phone, to a cosmic connection was always stable. Yuri was surprised, but the request of the daughters performed. Korolev gladly accepted this gift and treasured it.
In 1991, the widow of the designer, Nina Ivanovna gave a toy telephone, donated by the daughters of Gagarin, the Moscow Museum of cosmonautics. The artifact is stored in the hall “the Morning of the space age”.
This and other exhibits, you can explore the virtual exhibition “the Museum of cosmonautics in detail. Storytelling from the face of exhibits” on the website of the Museum space.
