Statue of Yuri Gagarin, Greenwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yuri Gagarin |
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| Artist | After Anatoly Novikov |
| Year | 2011 |
| Type | Zinc statue |
| Location | Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, United Kingdom |
The Statue of Yuri Gagarin in Greenwich, London, shows a famous space traveler. He is wearing a spacesuit and standing on a globe. This statue honors Yuri Gagarin, the very first human to journey into outer space!
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Who Was Yuri Gagarin?
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut. A cosmonaut is like an astronaut, but from Russia or the Soviet Union. On April 12, 1961, he made history. He became the first person to orbit the Earth. This amazing flight lasted 108 minutes. It was a huge step for space exploration!
About the Statue
The statue is made of zinc. It is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall. That's taller than a basketball hoop! It shows Yuri Gagarin in his spacesuit. He stands proudly on top of a globe, looking ready for adventure.
Where to Find It
The statue is located in Greenwich, London. You can find it at the Royal Observatory. This spot is special because it overlooks the Prime Meridian line. The Prime Meridian is the imaginary line that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres. It's like the starting point for measuring longitude around the world!
Its Journey to Greenwich
The statue was first shown on July 14, 2011. Its first home was in the Mall in London. This is a famous road near Admiralty Arch. It was placed near a statue of Captain James Cook. Cook was a famous explorer, just like Gagarin explored space!
Later, the statue moved to its current home. It was officially unveiled at the Royal Observatory on March 7, 2013. There was an idea to move it to Manchester, but that plan did not happen.
Why Was It Built?
The statue is a copy of an original one. The first statue is in Lyubertsy, Russia. This is where Gagarin trained as a worker in a metal factory.
The statue was a gift to the British Council. The British Council helps share British culture around the world. The gift came from Roscosmos, Russia's space agency. It was part of celebrations for a big event. In 2011, it was 50 years since Gagarin's first spaceflight. This gift helped celebrate that amazing achievement.
The first spot for the statue was chosen for a special reason. It was near where Yuri Gagarin met Harold Macmillan. Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at that time.
