ПЕРШИЙ У СВІТІ КОСМОНАВТ

This original poster from 1976 is one in a series of 18 educational posters produced for preschool age children, probably to educate them about space and aviation. The poster portrays Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin sitting at a table surrounded by a group of children showing them a Sputnik model. Gagarin was a Soviet pilot, cosmonaut, and the first person to journey into outer space travelling on Vostok 1. Because of this, he was an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including his country's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union. There is a model rocket on the table labeled CCCP. CCCP refers to any launch vehicle used by the Soviet space program, but the rocket is presumeably a Vostok. One of the boys is carrying a model airplane labeled АЗРОФЛОТ, which is the largest airline of Russia and was one of the largest airlines in the world during the time of the Soviet Union. Another boy is holding a book of fairytales. One of the girls is holding a doll and the other is holding a stuffed bear. The girls have bows in their hair. On the wall behind them, there is either a landscape painting or a window to the outside. The poster seems to be a print of a colorful watercolor painting. It was published by "Osvita," a state publishing house of educational literature in Kyiv. From 1931 to 1991, it was referred to as the "Soviet School," which is how it is referred in this printing.

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