On Saturday, April 4, 2026, a space-themed workshop took place within the walls of our Russian House. The event was dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight.
Without a doubt, everyone knows that the first human in space was Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. The workshop was led by the well-known and beloved artist Anna Burkovskaya. She began by telling the children who Yuri Gagarin was, and her story captivated not only the young participants but also their parents.

Here is what she told them.
Yuri Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934, in the village of Klushino. As a child, he helped his family with household chores, cared for animals, and in the evenings loved climbing onto the roof to look at the stars. Even then, distant horizons and the unknown world beyond his native fields attracted him — a dream that would later become his destiny.
In 1960, Gagarin began training for a spaceflight after passing a rigorous selection process among more than three thousand candidates. The requirements were extremely strict: excellent health, psychological stability, and even limits on height and weight. Eventually, the first group of twenty future cosmonauts was formed, facing unprecedented trials.

The training was exhausting: the cosmonauts studied astronomy, physics, and spacecraft systems, passed exams after every stage, and underwent serious psychological preparation. They were isolated in complete silence simulating the loneliness of space, and practiced weightlessness during short free-fall maneuvers aboard a Tu-104 aircraft. Survival skills and even weapons training were included in case of landing in the wilderness.
Despite the tension of the final days before launch, Gagarin remained calm and confident. His open smile and cheerful spirit became symbols of the historic flight that the entire country watched with excitement.

Then images of the starry sky appeared on the TV screen, and creative work began. Parents created alongside their children, giving advice and sharing ideas. Young artists worked seriously on their cosmic paintings.
— Should the sky be black or blue?
— What is that pink thing? Is it a black hole?
— Can I invent my own planet?
— Please help me draw a rocket…

After the canvas was filled with starry skies, a poster with Yuri A. Gagarin’s photograph was placed in the center. Each child went home not only with a handmade painting featuring Gagarin’s portrait but also received a commemorative badge.
The day was a great success!