On 14 July 2011, a monument to Yuri Gagarin was installed outside the British Council offices in London. This page collates all our coverage of the event from across our social media channels.
13 July 2011 – The role of Culture in international relationships
As the statue of Yuri Gagarin is unveiled outside the British Council offices in London, Paul de Quincey, British Council Director Russia, asks whether cultural exchange has any diplomatic value.
11 April 2011 – Elena Gagarina remembers her father
On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the first manned space flight, Elena Gagarina, Yuri Gagarin’s elder daughter, gives an extremely rare interview to Andrea Rose, Director of Visual Arts at the British Council, about the private life of her father, the first man in space.
The Exchange – Yuri Gagarin by British Council
Read a transcript of this podcast
A message from the crew of the International Space Station
Below is the trailer for First Orbit, a film we co-funded.
Photos of the installation will be posted in this Flickr set immediately after it is completed, on 14 July.
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Posted on July 11th, 2011 Report abuse
Here is a poem which I have written for Yuri
THE FEARLESS COSMONAUT
Dedicated to Yuri Gagarin
(May be sung to the tune of The British Grenadier)
Some speak of mighty generals or conquerors of the seas,
Of Wellington and Nelson and such great names as these;
But few of those brave heroes would feel totally unfraught
By the thrust and the boom and the zoom, zoom, zoom
of the fearless Cosmonaught
The rivalry of nations first set us on our race
To colonise the planet and vanquish outer space.
So pray the threat of Starwars may always come to naught
With the thrust and the boom and the zoom, zoom, zoom
of the fearless Cosmonaught.
Now wider still and wider shall mankind’s bounds be set
That spacecraft of the future may speed us further yet.
So let us duly honour, as all men surely ought,
The thrust and the boom and the zoom, zoom, zoom
of the fearless Cosmonaught.
John Buck
Posted on July 11th, 2011 Report abuse
Apropos my poem just sent, I’m sorry the word Cosmonaut has been misspelt at the end of each verse. It should of course be Cosmonaut NOT Cosmonaught.
Posted on July 14th, 2011 Report abuse
This looks like a fantastic exhibition! What are the opening times and prices?
Posted on July 14th, 2011 Report abuse
Hi Greg. The exhibition is appointment only, and is open from 4-5pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. To make an appointment email gagarin@britishcouncil.org. Thanks.
Posted on July 14th, 2011 Report abuse
It is disappointing that the exhibition is only open to visitors for only 1 hour. This makes a visit more difficult for people who have to travel from outside London.
The British Council is the UK’s international cultural organisation. Read about the work we’re doing building relationships between the UK and other countries through our work in Arts, English, Education and Society.
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