If someone wants to recall something good from Soviet history, you can be 90% sure that he or she will recall Yuri Gagarin. Today, his flight into outer space is both historically and ideologically significant primarily because that first flight of man into orbit around the earth in retrospect seems to be the only achievement of Soviet society that is not debated, that is not called into doubt, that is not tied to some huge number of “senseless” victims.
Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s practically all aspects of Soviet life were called into question and ridiculed. Only the space epic of Gagarin and Korolev remained untouched by this wave of negative re-evaluation of the past. It turned out that this particular episode in the past was a point of consensus upon which people of the most diverse and opposing ideologies could agree, and consequently it is an important positive element in the formation of a new Russian identity.
Truth be told, not only Russia has the right to claim for itself the achievements of Korolev and Gagarin. After all, the pioneers of space exploration, regardless of where they were born or their nationality, were first of all Soviet citizens and they achieved their feats in the name of that great Motherland, which can no longer be found on the map. The rockets lifted off from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, many of the equipment components were developed and produced in Ukraine, and those who worked in the space program represented a very wide range of nationalities. However, today neither Ukraine nor Kazakhstan claim the ideological role of an heir to the Soviet space program, so Russia can quite honestly speak of this victory in space in 1961 as one of it “own”.
At the same time, the first flight of man into space was truly a global event. Gagarin’s grandiose popularity in the furthest corners of the planet testifies to the fact that he was not perceived as a Soviet hero but rather as a representative of mankind. In turn, Gagarin’s flight was for the Soviet Union a major moral achievement. Under Stalin’s leadership great ideological efforts were put toward proving who was first – attempting to show that in Russia or the USSR was first locomotive was created, the first airplane, etc… But as if to spite history, Mozhaisky’s airplane did not take flight and the Cherepanov brothers’ locomotive did not run, just as the Tsar Bell was never rung and the Tsar Cannon never fired. But Gagarin’s first was clear, authentic and undeniable. He was gladly and without rejoinder recognized by the entire world, and it amounted to recognition of the leading position of the USSR in technology and science. For the first time in Russia’s history it hadn’t been playing catch-up and hadn’t borrowed (which had done previously with great success) achievements of the West. It was playing the role of a leader, a pioneering country, opening completely new for the development of all of mankind.
And these prospects were amazing. After all, the cosmos is not only an infinite space about which poets and philosophers had pondered since ancient times but also an extraordinarily important area for technology. As time has shown, many of the important inventions that have become a part of everyday life today were made possible thanks to the space race. Without Gagarin we would not have personal computers, or the Internet, or mobile phones. All of these technologies were created thanks to scientific discoveries and inventions that were in one way or another related to research for space programs. Of course, it is a little bit vexing that they did not appear first in Russia, but we shouldn’t think that we did not have anything to do with them.
For Russia’s leadership, which today speaks about modernization, recalling Soviet leadership in technology in the early 1960’s is quite appropriate. But there is also another side to the coin. Gagarin’s flight was the crowning achievement and proof of the success of Soviet modernization, and it was apparent to the entire world. However, the efforts of those times were clearly focused on achieving a specific and practical goal. What if Korolev asked to simply encourage innovation rather than assigning the specific task of putting the first man into orbit? It’s not likely that the same result would have been achieved. So taking pride in our history is one thing, but we also should be able to glean at least the simplest lessons from the past.
Gagarin’s flight, along with the first Soviet satellite launched in 1957, were significant for one reason: these were peaceful achievements. Of course, it’s no secret that space programs are closely linked with military programs. And without such a link space exploration might not have ever come about. Or at least not then and there, and not in such a manner. Nonetheless, the specific results of these efforts were not expressed in the creation of a new weapon, victory on the battlefield or the seizure of new territory. The previous international successes of the USSR were accomplished through the spilling of its own and others’ blood. At least that’s how it appeared from without. But with this, the Soviet Union showed the world a new achievement not related to war. It is no coincidence that Gagarin’s trips around the world also became a symbol of a new global situation, one in which people from various countries can work together and get along without armed conflict. And, however paradoxically, the Cuban Missile Crisis, which took place in the following year, in the final analysis, also confirmed this conclusion – after all, it ended with compromise rather war.
At the same time Gagarin’s global success for millions of people wasn’t exactly linked to the technological achievements of the USSR, but rather with his personality, charm, simplicity and openness. This image of the Soviet hero turned out to be surprisingly pleasant and human; there wasn’t anything totalitarian about him. I must admit, his selection as the candidate to become the first man in space was brilliant. The concept of PR didn’t exist back then… and furthermore no one in the USSR would have dared make such an activity his profession. There was of course propaganda, but that is a very different thing, largely built on a substantially different logic. And so it is quite surprising that the political and technical specialists involved in making the decision about who would be the first in space made such an irreproachable choice, knowing well all the cultural and psychological aspects of the issue. Gagarin was supposed to become the new face of the USSR, and that’s exactly what he became.
It’s no surprise that fifty years later Russian society has every right to truly celebrate this event. And it is quite appropriate that this date will an important one not only for Russia but also for the world. But the question remains as to what kind of lessons we are ready to draw from this historic event. Pride in the past does not change the present. And if the achievements of the past era are not supported and continued with new efforts, they will most likely turn into something of a reproach for the following generations. And memories of this event from 50 years ago, in this regard, can play a double role. Attempts to use Gagarin as PR for contemporary Russia will not have any effect or could even backfire, as today we cannot show the world any comparable achievements or comparable persona. And if in the near future new heroes do appear, they will be much different and not at all like Gagarin.
We can carry on and on with self-assuring conversations about the greatness of our Fatherland, but this will not change anything if not tied to specific efforts aimed at achieving similarly specific and clear goals. Only in this case can we find in the past moral stimulus to act today. But in this case we would be better off not thinking about problems in space but rather about what is occurring on earth – here and now.
