Cyprus celebrated on Thursday the anniversary of Soviet Yuri Gagarin’s first human journey into outer space when his spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on 12 April 1961.
Speaking at the event, that took place in front of Gagarin’s monument in the Nicosia Municipal Gardens, Russian Ambassador to Cyprus, Stanislav Osadchiy, talked about the space cooperation between Russia and the US, saying that this is a good example of their cooperation, while, unfortunately, on Earth, the two countries have misunderstandings.He continued by expressing the wish that their cooperation in space prevails on Earth as well.
The Russian Ambassador referred to Gagarin, recalling his many achievements, his unexpected death as well as his trip to Cyprus, where he was received with enthusiasm by the Cypriots.
Mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis said that Gagarin is the example that humanity is capable of many amazing things.
He added that as tensions become bigger on Earth, cooperation in the International Space Station intensifies and wished that this cooperation comes on Earth too.
President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Cooperation (CSEO) Giorgos Danos said that the 12th of April 1961 was one very important day for humanity, since the first human space flight was made possible, paving the way for humanity to begin space exploration.
Noting that Cyprus is at the crossroads of the East and the West, he said that CSEO promotes scientific cooperation for peaceful uses of space. These efforts, he said, bring fruits, and referred to the cooperation of CSEO and Russian Space Agency Roscosmos.
President of the Cyprus – Russia Association, Harris Thrasou, said that Gagarin was a hero, not only to his country but to the whole world. Today, he said, space flight has become a routine, while Gagarin’s achievement in 1961 was a voyage to the unknown.
Thrasou said that he remembers Gagarin’s photograph with a white pigeon, and wished that peace prevails on Earth.
Finally, Vice Rector of the University of Nicosia, Edna Yamasaki Patrikiou, referred to humanity’s hero Yuri Gagarin, to the thousands of satellites orbiting Earth as well as to the two master degrees on space research that the University will launch in Autumn 2019 in cooperation with Moscow’s State University.
After the speeches, they all laid wreaths and placed flowers on Gagarin’s monument.
