The bed where Yuri Gagarin spent his last night before the flight.
(Photos by Anton Verstakov, special to Russia Blog)
Anton Verstakov, a Russian national and the founder and principal of AVProductions recently visited Baikonur during one of his filming trips. Anton wrote:
"Baikonur is located in the middle of nowhere, very far from civilization. It is currently in Kazakhstan, but the town belongs to Russia. And not only foreigners need a Russian visa to get there, but they also need a special accreditation from Roscosmos and FSB. Baikonur is considered a military town."
The photos are unique, as the above criteria ensures that most of Russia Blog readers will not get a chane to travel to Kazakhstan with a Russian visa and the papers from Russia's Space Agency and FSB. Please enjoy this unique peek into Yuri's Gagarin's life.
Visit the extended post to see the photo essay.
Gagarin's house - the small shack where he and his back-up crew member stayed at Baikonur. At that time this was one of a few brick buildings, all others stayed in wooden barracks. Korolev's house looks the same and is next door to this one.
Lenin's portrait - the only thing of luxury in Yuri Gagarin's room at Baikonur
The monument to a cosmonaut at one of the entrances to the town. Locals call it "Fisherman" - to people here he looks like as if he is showing off the size of a fish he just caught.
Baikonur from the distance...
Baikonur Cosmodrome is 50 km (30 miles) away from the town, its workers use a train every day to get there and back.
This days, Baikonur is a rare place on Earth where you can meet a bronze bust of Dzerzhinsky....
...founder of KGB.
Monument to Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who is considered by many the father of practical astronautics.
"I like Baikonur," says Anton Verstakov. "For me it is a sort of a flashback, a visualization of my best memories from Soviet times. I was 10 when USSR collapsed, so my memories are quite blurred and not systematic at all. But this sense of calmness, silence, and peace is very real. These empty clean streets, wide squares, green alleys, monuments, no one in a hurry, everyone living by the working schedule--bring back warm memories. Baikonur is a precious historical reserve where time has frozen."
Monument to the "father of the Soviet October Revolution" - Vladimir Lenin
Baikonur's skateboard park
Thank you for joining us on a tour of modern-day Baikonur!
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