Episode 47:25th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin Statue in London

The 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s UK visit was marked by the
unveiling of an aluminium statue of Gagarin, an exact copy of the
one outside Lyubertsy Technical School number 10, where Gagarin
started his training as a foundryman. The statue, a gift from the
Russian federal space agency Roscosmos to the British Council, is
located outside the British Council Offices in London but only for
one year. This episode is a collection of some of the speeches and
my short interviews during the three events on 14th July. They were
the unveiling of the statue in the morning, the lunchtime reception
at the Russian Embassy and the evening reception back at the
British Council.  So, in order of appearance, here is a list
of all the contributors in this episode The unveiling of the statue
ceremony was opened by Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the
British Council Vladimir Popovkin, Head of Roscosmos (speaking in
Russian but with a translator) Yuri Gagarin’s oldest daughter,
Elena Gagarina unveiled the statue Derek Pullen who provides a
brief description of how the statue came from Moscow to London. Two
recordings during the lunchtime Reception at the Russian Embassy,
where incidentally, Gagarin spent each of his four nights in the UK
The Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko, Cosmonaut Sergei
Krikalev, who holds the record for the longest time spent in space
British Council Evening reception Nataliya Koroleva. Chief Designer
Sergei Korolev’s daughter. Who gave me a gentle rebuke whilst
looking through my book “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and
seeing a photograph of Wernher von Braun and Herman Oberth but not
of her father! The episode ends with Ambassador Yakovenko briefly
recalling his recent meeting with the queen. Korolev's daughter,
granddaughter and great-granddaughter