Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin is one of the most famous people of the 20th century: the first in space, conquering the world with his smile—his popularity even eclipsed the “Beatles” and Marilyn Monroe… He was preparing for a flight to the Moon and died at 34 under circumstances that still haven’t been fully explained.

Who was he really?

In a cult biography of the greatest Soviet legend, writer and journalist Lev Danilkin demystifies Gagarin, presenting him as a living person: a melancholic who valued poetry and silence; a pilot who was treating sinusitis on the eve of the historic flight; an officer tormented by night terrors. The book helps us make sense of the myth about him—the myth of an embodiment of ideal national traits, behind which the bitterness of being unable to reach that standard can be felt.

The chronicle of Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin’s life (1934–1968) has been reconstructed from archival documents, personal interviews with those close to him, and the memoirs of eyewitnesses. His life was tragically cut short too soon, yet it contained so much energy and strength that it continues to inspire the soul of an entire nation.

Listen to an outspoken and objective life story of the main hero of 20th-century Russian history, delivered in an incredibly charismatic performance by the author.