April 12, Cosmonauts Day commemorative badge/pin (znachki), USSR, 1980s

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April 12, Cosmonauts Day commemorative badge/pin (znachki)
USSR, 1980s

About Cosmonautics Day / Yuri's Night

Cosmonautics Day (Russian: День Космона́втики, Den Kosmonavtiki) is an anniversary celebrated in Russia and some other former Soviet Union countries on 12 April. In Poland an "International Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics" (Polish: Międzynarodowy Dzień Lotnictwa i Kosmonautyki) is celebrated on the same day. In 2011, at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly, 12 April was declared as the International Day of Human Space Flight in dedication of the first crewed space flight made on 12 April 1961 by the 27-year-old Russian Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Gagarin circled the Earth for 1 hour and 48 minutes aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. More on Cosmonautics Day on Wikipedia (opens in a new window).

Nowadays the 12th of April is sometimes referred to as "Yuri's Night". The goal of Yuri's Night is to increase public interest in space exploration and to inspire a new generation of explorers. Driven by space-inspired artistic expression and culminating in a worldwide network of annual celebrations and educational events, Yuri's Night creates a global community of young people committed to shaping the future of space exploration while developing responsible leaders and innovators with a global perspective. These global events are a showcase for elements of culture that embrace space including music, dance, fashion, and art. More information on Yuri's Night on Wikipedia (opens in a new window as well).

Tags: pin, lapel pin, znachki, badge, collectible, cosmos, Yuri Gagarin, Vostok 1, USSR, space, cosmonaut, astronaut