Russia’s Yuri Gagarin celebrated in Indian capital

A memorial depicting legendary cosmonaut and other Russian pioneers of space exploration has been unveiled in New Delhi

A commemorative plaque depicting Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, was unveiled at the Russian House in New Delhi on Saturday. The event was held to mark the International Day of Human Space Flight, observed annually on April 12.

The sculptural plaque features the first cosmonaut in his spacesuit, alongside famed Russian aerospace pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Soviet rocket engineer Sergei Korolev, who is widely regarded as the founder of the USSR’s space program. 

“Yuri Gagarin visited India and received a very warm welcome. Until now, there was no memorial to him in Delhi,” said Elena Remizova, head of the Russian House in New Delhi. 

Rajeev Kumar Jaiswal, Officer on Special Duty at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), recalled that in 1961, his country had no space program.

“India was struggling with hunger and poverty at the time. Thanks to long-term cooperation with Russia, we reached the stage where Rakesh Sharma went to space,” he said, referring to India’s first astronaut, who flew aboard the Soviet Union’s Soyuz T-11 mission in 1984.

VIDEO | On the occasion of International Day of Human Space Flight, a memorial plaque was unveiled at Russian House in the national capital, in honour of cosmonaut Yuri Gagrin and other space pioneers from Russia, on Saturday.

The plaque was unveiled in the presence of Russian… pic.twitter.com/oLlUm9K8el— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 12, 2025

An exhibition of rare archival photos of Gagarin’s 1961 mission was also opened at the venue. Shortly after returning to Earth, Gagarin toured India, where he was welcomed by thousands lining the streets. He was hosted by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and honored with a parade.