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Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961

“We were all very excited. Around 25,000 workers were there and the managers decided to give us time off so we could listen to him... We went to a large bus park. He was on a flat-bedded lorry, with a microphone, and he spoke to us all... He then asked if we had any questions. So, I fired away: 'What do the stars look like out in space?'... He laughed and said: 'I was really too busy taking care of the spacecraft to look at the stars!'" (Roy Darbyshire, one of the workers of the factory) RUSSIAN PRESENCE IN GREAT BRITAIN RUSSIAN PRESENCE IN GREAT

GREENWICH (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961

April 12, 1961: Soviets Orbit Gagarin, First Human in Space (Source space.com)

1 Russian Heritage in the UK Society Yuri Gagarin in Britain

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in Many British entities and individuals space, was in the UK between 11- sent Gagarin invitations to visit the 15 July 1961. He was initially invited country as part of his world tour by the Manchester branch of the following the triumphal flight. Those Amalgamated Union of Foundry included “GB-USSR Association”, Workers (the cosmonaut completed chaired by Sir Fitzroy Maclean, and the a course at a vocational school, with ballet promoter Victor Hochhauser. distinction, qualifying as a moulder, Those invitations were however private before joining the Air Force) and the and not approved by the Cabinet. organizers of the Soviet industrial After the visit was announced, on exhibition in London, but literally at 7 July Prime Minister Macmillan the last moment, after long pondering concluded, guided by a Foreign Office and compromising meetings were memo, that Cabinet ministers should arranged with PM Harold Macmillan, not be holding a lunch in Yuri Gagarin’s HM the Queen, as well as other official honour - with nothing more than private events. meetings with Sir Fitzroy Maclean and

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin arriving at Buckingham Palace during his four-day visit to Great Britain, July 1961 (Source Popperfoto/Getty Images) 2 Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961 some MPs or possibly the Duke of enough, the plane was named “Sir Edinburgh. Still, this stance was soon Isaac Newton”. A huge crowd of people reversed. The British public service had pushed through the airport gates realised that ignoring the popular to get on to the tarmac and, as Gagarin event and the public sentiment might stepped from the plane, a surge from damage the Government’s image in the the crowd carried him away from UK and abroad. the party of officials waiting to meet So, the Prime Minister met the him. The Foundry Workers Union’s cosmonaut at the Admiralty, his Executive Council prepared a gold temporary residence (10 Downing medal depicting the earth in human Street was undergoing repairs) and hands, with the inscription: “Together even allowed the media to film the moulding a better world”. Yuri Gagarin meeting. was also made the first ever honorary Nikolai Kamanin, head of cosmonaut member, and the first Soviet member training who accompanied the tour, of the British trade union movement. said: “The English people took the Gagarin’s next stop on the visit was the lead in the meeting. The streets were giant AEI works at Trafford Park, known covered with umbrellas as people as ‘Metros’. Thousands of workers spent hours under the rain waiting for mobbed him. Police had to stop the the cosmonaut to appear. Londoners traffic and force back the crowds to met Yuri Gagarin with great warmth allow his car to get through the gates. and passion contradicting our view His welcome was tumultuous. But none of the British as reserved and cold of this ever seemed to alter Gagarin’s blooded. Gagarin won the hearts and smiling composure. minds of Brits just as he left the plane. While in the factory, Gagarin shook his His humble and simple manners, head, saying ‘Nyet, nyet’ when passing laughing eyes and happy smile caught a photographer who was standing the attention of almost all the press, on a casting to get a better shot. An radio and TV”. interpreter told the man that Gagarin Manchester, Britain’s “industrial knew the casting was unfinished and capital”, was the first city in the UK might be spoiled by being stood on. he visited. Thousands of expectant Gagarin commented, ‘I was a foundry people turned out in the pouring worker, and although I am doing a rain to welcome the cosmonaut at different job now, I am still a foundry Manchester Airport, where he arrived worker at heart.’ on a specially-chartered Viscount 800 After the factory tour, the police, aeroplane. The flight was Gagarin’s first linking arms, forced a way for Gagarin in a British plane, and he took over the through the crowds to the car park, controls of the plane for a short time on where a lorry was set up as a temporary the way to Manchester. Appropriately platform. The cosmonaut spoke to a 3 Russian Heritage in the UK Society

Cosmonaut Major Yuri Gagarin during his visit to Admiralty House, London, to meet Harold Macmillan, 13 July 1961 (Source Central Press/Getty Images) crowd of over five thousand, made up saluted, a small boy broke through the mostly of workers from the factory, but police cordon, shook the Mayor’s hand, swelled by hundreds of workers from took a quick photo of Gagarin, and surrounding factories who gave up then stood staring at him. The Town their lunch hour to come and see him. Hall had had just twenty-four hours’ Gagarin said: ‘I’m so glad to shake your notice of Gagarin’s visit. A military- hand which here, in Manchester, and in style operation was put into action to all countries, create the most beautiful prepare the Town Hall, the food, and things. There is plenty of room for all the police reinforcements, including a in . Plenty of room for motorcycle escort. the Russians, the Americans and the The British Interplanetary Society British’, and said he looked forward to gave Yuri Gagarin its golden medal for the day when Soviet space-ships would merit in space exploration. He was the be flying to the Moon and working first man to receive it. with American and British scientists British scientists appreciated who would be there, too. The crowds Gagarin’s knowledge and presented shouted back, ‘Yuri! Yuri!’ him with Newton’s books. At the Manchester Town Hall, the Once in London, Yuri Gagarin had Soviet National Anthem was played, a tour of the Tower. His meeting and the red flag raised. As Gagarin with Bank of England workers was 4 Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961 overcrowded. At the Cenotaph Yuri with no ornaments or makeup walked Gagarin laid flowers to honour British unexpectedly into the room - this was servicemen fallen in the two World Her Majesty the Queen. By her side Wars. were Prince Philip and the ten-year-old Invitation to lunch with Queen Anne, Princess Royal. Elizabeth II, alongside with other Her Majesty greeted everyone nicely, outstanding personalities, was a asked if the programme of events was diplomatic victory for . The too busy and whether the party had any cosmonaut was joined by Nikolai wishes. The Russians said that all was Kamanin, his official biographer Nikolai going well and thanked the Queen. At Denisov, USSR Ambassador Alexander lunch Gagarin sat by her side and told Soldatov and interpreter Boris Belitskiy her about the flight - and, as he later (for whom no food was served). The confessed, touched her to check if she Foreign Office and Buckingham Palace was real! worked hard to explain protocol details Yuri apparently didn’t know how to use to the Soviet side, but finally they were the abundant cutlery, and everybody pretty much ignored. was looking at him to see how he Kamanin recalled: “At the entrance was a broad staircase, with narrow stairs on both sides. On those stairs stood those who were greeting us, and Prince Andrew’s pram. The group was led into a room, where Earl Mountbatten, Chief of the Defence Staff, addressed Yuri Alexeevich: “I’m not young, and I have witnessed many things. But the event I have best memories of, and which I am proud of, happened when I was very young: the Queen held me in her arms. Andrew will also remember the day when he, lying in his pram, met the first man in space”. Meanwhile, Kamanin writes, Yuri Gagarin cavalcade: Through the streets of Manchester (Source wcml.org.uk) a fine lady, dressed simply, 5 Russian Heritage in the UK Society

Yuri Gagarin in Manchester: Greeting the crowd (Source wcml.org.uk) would work it out. Two accounts exist took the lemon from it and ate the of this episode. First - that he said: lemon - something incompatible with “Let’s eat the Russian way”, and took the palace protocol. But Her Majesty the biggest spoon to put salad on his also took the lemon from her cup and plate, and the Queen doing the same ate it. saying “Let’s eat the Gagarin way”. The The British space historian other - when he expressed doubt over Christopher Riley notes that the how to use the cutlery in front of him, media coverage did not dwell on the the Queen apparently replied: “My dear protocol details but rather on the Mr Gagarin, I was born and brought distinction given to the cosmonaut by up in this palace, but believe me, I still lunch with the Queen. Just a month don’t know in which order I should use later the Berlin Wall rose, and mutual all these forks and knives.” She then understanding between East and West added in a whisper: “Each time, you was undermined again. Still, Riley take the knife and fork that lie at the believes, Gagarin’s message of peace outer edge.” and global solidarity might have helped Tea with lemon was served. Following to prevent a Third World War. the Russian custom, Yuri drank the tea,

6 Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961 Gagarin landed in London

As children we were taught that intergovernmental negotiations to “the Earth begins, as is known, from create the International the Kremlin”. But from the point and is a member of the International of view of geography the starting Institute of Space Law and point is rather the prime meridian, International Academy of Astronautics. which passes through the Royal The unveiling attracted Londoners and Observatory, Greenwich in London. It local Russians alike. The anniversary of is at this meridian, in front of one of the first human space flight didn’t pass the buildings of the observatory, where unnoticed in London: apart from official the Earth probably takes the beginning events at the Museum of Science, from, that the monument of the first dozens of enthusiasts organised a Yuri Gagarin was opened on flash-mob “Rockets for Yuri” on 12 7 March 2013. April that was a mass launch of toy The monument, which is an exact rockets, a walk through London in self- copy of the one created by Anatoliy made spacesuits, and even launch of a Novikov in front of the vocational comic book about Gagarin. school in Lyubertsy, where Gagarin When taking the decision to move the studied, came to Britain in July 2011. monument to the permanent location Then it was temporarily mounted in several options were considered. In the very centre of London, in The Mall, particular, a group from Manchester connecting Buckingham Palace and (also visited by Gagarin in 1961 and Trafalgar Square. Gagarin stood near near which Jodrell Bank, the main the building of the British Council (the radio telescope in the UK ‘Jodrell organization in charge of cultural Bank” is situated), was very active. relations with foreign countries) facing The final decision was taken in the monument of another legendary favour of Greenwich. There is much pioneer, Captain James Cook. The date symbolism in it: it was the place from of this first opening wasn’t accidental: where many explorers sailed, and the 50th anniversary of Gagarin’s visit the observatory founded in 1675 for to Britain was celebrated in those days. practical needs of the Royal Navy The monument in front of the British made a great contribution to the space Council was unveiled by Gagarin’s research (everyone knows the comet daughter - Elena Gagarina, HRH named after the Royal astronomer in Prince Michael of Kent, and Russian 1720-1742 Edmond Halley). In 1698 Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko, Greenwich hosted Peter the Great himself not alien to space affairs: he for a few months, whose monument headed the Russian delegation at the by Mikhail Shemyakin has stood at 7 Russian Heritage in the UK Society the Deptford quay since 2001. The Lytkarino optical glass factory near cooperation continues now: mirrors Moscow, not far from Lyubertsy, where for the three modern telescopes of the the original monument to Yuri Gagarin Greenwich observatory were made at stands.

Statue of Yuri Gagarin in Greenwich (Source Julia Pliauksta) 8 Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) and his journey to England in 1961 Gagarin remembered in Britain

Besides the Greenwich memorial, there are more places throughout the country that have commemorated Yuri Gagarin. A bust of the cosmonaut by was placed at the Exploring Space gallery at London’s Science Museum in 2017. The bust was donated to the museum by the “Dialogue of Cultures - One World” Foundation, which has installed dozens of similar memorials in different countries and was unveiled as part of the of the UK- Yuri Gagarin plaque in Manchester Year of Science and Education. Airport (Source Wikimedia Commons) The Science Museum is in successful to Communist influence in the local partnership with the Tsiolkovsky State councils: Cowdenbeath even used to Museum of the History of Cosmonautics be nicknamed “Little Moscow”. As time in Kaluga. passed, the Communist ideas lost their A stone marking the first human space charm (which is very much the subject flight is among the markers of human of the black comedy “Gagarin Way” by achievements along the path leading the contemporary Scottish playwright to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae on Gregory Burke, performed in many Orkney. It was unveiled on 12 April 2008 countries, including Russia), but the by the cosmonaut Georgy Grechko. place names stayed. The plaque in Manchester airport (arrivals hall of Terminal 3) was unveiled to mark the 50th anniversary of Gagarin’s visit - precisely on the spot where he touched the ground in 1961. There is a Gagarin House in Winstanley Estate (Battersea, London), Gagarin Terrace in Greenwich (it is where the monument stands), a road in Tamworth (Staffordshire) as well as Gagarin Terrace in Kilwinning (North Ayrshire) and Gagarin Way in Lumphinnans, Cowdenbeath (Fife). The two streets A bronze bust of Yuri Gagarin at London’s Science Museum by Alexei Leonov in Scotland got their names thanks (Source RussianCulture.UK) 9 Russian Heritage in the UK Society

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Russian presence in Great Britain. History lessons. Russian Heritage in the UK Society Peter the Great (1672-1725) and his journey to England in 1698 © Russian Heritage in the of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, publisher © Konstantin Shlykov, Alexander Smotrov, text © Dr. Julia Pliauksta, Dr. John Newbery, Dr. Natalie Harding, editor © Maria Afitsinskaya-Lvova, original idea, layout, typeset, cover © 2020 All Rights belong to Russian Heritage in the UK Society. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher - [email protected]