Yuri Gagarin

First man in space

Modern influential 55 sayings

Sayings by Yuri Gagarin

I don't see any God up here.

1961 — Reported statement from orbit, though its authenticity is debated and may have been attributed to hi…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The main thing is to be in space. If only I could be in space for a week, or a month, or a year!

1961 — Interview or personal reflection before his flight.
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When they asked me to write down a farewell letter to my wife, I was a bit surprised. I thought, 'What's the hurry?'

1961 — Recounting his pre-flight preparations and the gravity of the situation.
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I could have landed in the desert, but then I would have had to walk barefoot.

1961 — Referring to his parachute landing after ejecting from the Vostok capsule.
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I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let's preserve and enhance this beauty, not destroy it!

1961 — Post-flight reflections on his view of Earth.
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I felt very well in weightlessness, like a fish in water.

1961 — Describing his experience during his space flight.
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The feeling of weightlessness was somewhat unfamiliar compared to Earth conditions. Here, you feel as if you are suspended in a horizontal position.

1961 — Detailed description of weightlessness after his flight.
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What beauty. What a wonderful world!

1961 — Reported exclamation while looking out the spacecraft window.
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The Earth is blue. How wonderful. It is amazing.

1961 — Another reported exclamation from orbit.
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I was told to prepare for the flight one way, but then the schedule was changed, and I had to prepare for it another way.

1961 — Reflecting on the often-changing and secretive nature of the Soviet space program.
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I want to dedicate this flight to the people of communism.

1961 — Statement made in the context of Soviet propaganda.
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I still can't believe it. I want to fly again. I want to fly to the Moon, to Mars, to Venus...

1961-1962 — Expressing his desire for more space travel after his first flight.
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The main thing about space is that it is not dark. It is light, just not like on Earth.

1961 — Describing the lighting conditions in space.
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The Earth is very beautiful. I could see the continents clearly, the rivers, the clouds, the snow-capped mountains.

1961 — Detailed observation from orbit.
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I was very surprised by how small the Earth looks from up there.

1961 — Personal reflection on the scale of the Earth from orbit.
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I saw no angels or gods up there in the heavens.

1961 — Similar to the 'no God' quote, often attributed to him, possibly for propaganda purposes.
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The most beautiful thing in the world is the Earth from space.

1961 — Summary of his visual experience.
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I am a simple Soviet man. I was born in a simple family, and I have grown up under the Soviet government.

1961 — Part of his public persona and humble origins narrative.
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I feel wonderful. I see clouds and the horizon, and the forests and cities.

1961 — Reported radio transmission from orbit.
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The sky is very dark, and the Earth is a beautiful blue planet.

1961 — Another observation from space.
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