Yuri Gagarin
n.p., December 12, 1961
Yuri Gagarin Fine Signed Photo Inscribed to a Hero of the Soviet Union
Signed photograph

A fine signed black & white photograph of pioneering cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, 3.75? x 6.75?. A smiling portrait in uniform, holding a white dove, a symbol of peace. Signed and inscribed on verso just eight months after his historic flight, adding date December 12, 1961, in Cyrillic. Creasing to corners and edges, otherwise in very good condition.

Gagarin writes: "To Nicolai Ivanovich Smirnov, In memory about our traveling through India, Ceylon, Afghanistan with gratitude for help and with respect. Gagarin. 12/12/61."

Gagarin visited Ceylon from December 7-11, 1961, during his Peace Mission. Nicolay Ivanovich Smirnov (1917-1992) was a Russian fleet admiral and Hero of the Soviet Union, commanding a submarine in the Black Sea Fleet in 1944, and later become chief of staff.

Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel to outer space. The trained air force pilot and officer was handpicked in 1960 to test into the new Soviet space program, later becoming one of the program's top candidates, called the Sochi 6. Gagarin's psychological and physical endurance, as well as his small statue (5'2"), made him an ideal candidate for future space missions. Gagarin broke records when he successfully manned the Vostok I space capsule into outer space on April 12, 1961. He made a full orbit around Earth lasting 108 minutes before parachuting into the atmosphere at 23,000 feet. Gagarin was killed in a routine training mission at in 1968 at age 34.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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5" x 10"