Юрий Гагарин в космосе
Yuri Gagarin in Space
12 April 1961: a 27-year-old Soviet pilot becomes the first human in space. The selection ordeal, the 108-minute orbit, the famous 'Poyekhali!', and the global fame that followed.
You will practice: Perfective past for completed historic events (стал, произнёс, погиб), participles and verbal adverbs (окружённая, отмечая), and superlatives (жесточайшими, самым известным).
Words to know
Skim these before you read — they carry the story. Tap the star to add one to your saved words.
- полётflight
- космосspace, the cosmos
- лётчикpilot, aviator
- космонавтcosmonaut
- триумфtriumph
- гонкаrace
- оккупацияoccupation
- упорствоperseverance, persistence
- требованиеrequirement, demand
- ростheight
- тренировкаtraining, training session
- обаяниеcharm
- ракетаrocket
- запускlaunch
- невесомостьweightlessness
- орбитаorbit
- иллюминаторporthole, viewport
- приземлитьсяto land (touch down)
- мужествоcourage
- стремлениеaspiration, striving
Did you get it?
5 quick questions — no grades, just a comprehension check.
1. What happened on 12 April 1961?
2. Why was an upper height limit of 170 cm one of the requirements?
3. What famous word did Gagarin say at the moment of launch?
4. How long did the flight last?
5. How did Gagarin's life end?
Too hard? Pick an easier text in the reading library. Understanding most of a text without translations is the goal — struggling through is not.