Gagarin was the first in space. Who will you become? According to Deacon Vladimir Vasilik, Gagarin's flight into space was a miracle and a feat ...

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleБыл первым в космосе Гагарин.Каким по счету будешь ты? По словам диакона Владимира Василика, полет Гагарина в космос был чудом и подвигом …
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Orthodox view on technology and engineering - Ecumenism and dialogue > Education - Natural and the supernatural > Miracles
6. Publication date 20-05-2018
7. lemma work Василик, Владимир [Author]. Был первым в космосе Гагарин.Каким по счету будешь ты? По словам диакона Владимира Василика, полет Гагарина в космос был чудом и подвигом …
8. lemma manifestations Русская народная линия информационно-аналитическая служба. Православие Самодержавие Народность.
9. Keywords Outer Space - Yuri Gagarin - atheism - Cosmonaut - Russian Orthodoxy - Propaganda - anticlerical propaganda - persecution
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Василик, Владимир (2011). Был первым в космосе Гагарин.Каким по счету будешь ты? По словам диакона Владимира Василика, полет Гагарина в космос был чудом и подвигом … <em>Русская народная линия информационно-аналитическая служба. Православие Самодержавие Народность.</em> Retrieved from: http://ruskline.ru/news_rl/2011/04/11/na_etom_velikom_sobytii_pytayutsya_delat_gesheft_torgovcy/</p>
12. Lemma body

    1. Deacon Vladimir describes Gagarin’s flight as a great triumph of the Soviet people. April 12, 1961 was marked by a true national celebration, when strangers in the street shared the joy, embraced each other and formed spontaneous rallies. Hundreds of thousands of people in different countries of the world, even in the USA, also celebrated this new victory for humankind.

       The author argues that the educational value of Yuri Gagarin's flight cannot be overestimated as entire generations of Soviet people were brought up on his example. At the same time Deacon Vladimir points out that Gagarin’s flight into space occurred during Khrushchev’s persecution of the Church. The flight itself was used for atheistic propaganda purposes. Some of Gagarin's close friends deny that he said the phrase: "I flew into space, but did not see God." The author believes that it is hard to say whether Gagarin really said it or not. But even his silence would have meant strong support for atheism (unlike the behaviour of American cosmonauts who had prayed on the moon). He argues, however, that the Soviet atheistic campaign was not a great success: it did not shake the faith of true believers.

       Deacon Vladimir believes that the Soviet Union itself – although it was created to build a free society, based on equality, brotherhood, and social justice – was ruined by its own officially proclaimed atheism. The author concludes by expressing his regret that currently Gagarin’s feat is being commercialized.