Vostok 1 was the first spaceflight of the Vostok programme and the first human orbital spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 12 April 1961, with Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard, making him the first human to reach orbital velocity around the Earth and to complete a full orbit around the Earth.
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight, became the first human to journey into outer space. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961, with his flight taking 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including the nation's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union.
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is a Russian engineer, member of the State Duma, and former Soviet cosmonaut. She was the first woman in space, having flown a solo mission on Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963. She orbited the Earth 48 times, spent almost three days in space, is the only woman to have been on a solo space mission and is the last surviving Vostok programme cosmonaut. She was the youngest woman to fly in space until 2023 when Anastatia Mayers flew on Galactic 02 at the age of 18. Since Mayers flew a suborbital mission, Tereshkova remains the youngest woman to fly in Earth orbit.
Valery Fyodorovich Bykovsky was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on three space flights: Vostok 5, Soyuz 22, and Soyuz 31. He was also backup for Vostok 3 and Soyuz 37.
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Volkov is a retired Soviet cosmonaut. He is a veteran of 3 space flights, including twice to the Mir Soviet space station, and is the father of cosmonaut Sergey Volkov.
Yuri Viktorovich Ushakov is a Russian and former Soviet diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Russia to the United States from 1998 until 2008. Since 2012, he has been an advisor to the President of Russia on foreign policy issues. He has the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.
Farit Mubarakshevich Mukhametshin is a Russian politician and diplomat. He has served as a member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly as the representative of Samara Oblast since 2018. He has previously been head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), and as ambassador of Russia to Moldova, and to Uzbekistan.
The Order of Friendship is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at the betterment of relations with the Russian Federation and its people. The design of order was created by Alexander Zhuk. Its statute was later amended by presidential decree 19 of 6 January 1999, presidential decree 1999 of 7 September 2010, presidential decree 1631 of 16 December 2011, and presidential decree 308 of 16 March 2012. The Order of Friendship is the direct successor of the Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples and like the latter, its insignia was similarly designed by Alexander Zhuk.
Sergey Yevgenyevich Naryshkin is a Russian politician and businessman who has served as the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service since 2016. Previously, he was Chairman of the State Duma (2011–2016) and Kremlin Chief of Staff (2008–2012); he was also chairman of the Historical Truth Commission from May 2009 until it was dissolved in February 2012.
The 150th Idritsa-Berlin Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Ground Forces is a tank and artillery division that was re-instituted in 2016. It is part of the 8th Guards Army, which was reformed in 2017, in the Southern Military District.
The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates and the status of the award were significantly changed, making them closer to such awards as the Nobel Prize or the Soviet Lenin Prize.
Aleksandr Borisovich Zheleznyakov is a specialist in design and production of rocket and space systems. He is also a writer and journalist.
Soviet space exploration history has been well documented on Soviet stamps. These Soviet stamps cover a broad spectrum of subjects related to the Soviet space program. While much of the focus has been placed on the nation's notable "firsts" in space flight, including: Earth orbiting satellite, Sputnik 1; animal in space, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2; human in space and Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1; first spacewalk, Alexei Leonov on Voskhod 2; woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6; Moon impact, 1959, and uncrewed landing; space station; and interplanetary probe; numerous stamps have paid tribute to more general astronomical topics as well.
Anatoly Grigorievich Lysenko was a Soviet and Russian television figure, journalist, director, producer. Honored Artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR. On 18 July 2012 he was appointed general director of Public Television of Russia.
Yelena Yurievna Gagarina is a Russian art historian. She is the general director of Moscow Kremlin Museums since 2001. She is also the elder daughter of Yuri Gagarin.
Sergei Vadimovich Kirpichenko was a Russian diplomat. He served as ambassador to various countries during the 1990s until the 2010s, and at the time of his death was the incumbent Ambassador to Egypt.
Pyotr Valerievich Dubrov is a Russian engineer and cosmonaut selected by Roscosmos in 2012.
Valentina Ivanovna Gagarina was the wife of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
Valery Vasilyevich Loshchinin was a Soviet and Russian diplomat. He served in various diplomatic roles from 1965 onwards, and was Ambassador of Russia to Belarus between 1996 and 1999, and Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna from 1999 to 2001. He was also a deputy minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2002, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2005, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, and concurrently Permanent Representative of Russia to the Conference on Disarmament, from 2005 to 2011.
