Statue to Gagarin Erected in Gyulaháza

With contributions from the first Hungarian astronaut, Bertalan Farkas, the statue to Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was erected next to the Space Research Memorial House and a MiG-21 fighter in Gyulaháza, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County as the donation of the Russian government, the academy of science and the space research foundations.

The 50th anniversary provided the occasion for the unveiling of the monument. Fifty years ago, in 1961 Gagarin was the first human to journey into outer space aboard a Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok-1).

In his speech, Lt.-Col. Ferenc Papp, the Head of the MoD Public Affairs and War Grave Care Bureau stressed that Gagarin made history by spending 108 minutes in space, and the 27-year-old fighter pilot became a hero. He added that the Hungarian Defence Forces boast many famous Hungarian fighter pilots, like, for example, Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Bertalan Farkas, who was born in Gyulaháza.

“Recently Elena Gagarin unveiled his father’s statue in London. After the metropolis, now the eyes of the world are on Gyulaháza. The example set by Gagarin and the Hungarian astronauts clearly shows that success does not depend on the population size of one’s birthplace. The only way to achieve results is by doing dedicated, persevering work and acquiring knowledge", Lt.-Col. Papp stressed in his speech and expressed thanks to the donators and the host settlement.

Photo: www.szon.hu

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