Eight objects that define the Soviet space race.But, although they might have been refined by censors, there is a good chance they are the cosmonaut's actual words. In a political system where journalism tends towards propaganda, rather than a realistic portrayal of events, it is easy to argue that Gagarin's quotes are made-up. The cosmonaut describes the experience: "The horizon presents a very unique and unusually beautiful sight." And praises the Soviet Union: "I dedicate my flight to… all our people who are marching in the forefront of humanity and building a new society." In a booklet published to commemorate the flight, Soviet Man in Space, the interview with Gagarin continues for several pages. "He appreciates the curiosity with which he is pressed for the details of what he saw and experienced during the one and a half hours he spent outside the Earth." "Every now and then dimples appear on his cheeks," Ostroumov writes. A day after returning to Earth "space pilot" Yuri Gagarin is, reports Ostroumov, "in high spirits, hale and hearty…a wonderful smile illumines his face." On 13 April 1961, Soviet newspaper Izvestia’s special correspondent Georgi Ostroumov meets the first man in space.
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