Space Superhero: Formation of the Cult of Yuri Gagarin in the Context of the Relationship between Power and Society in the USSR

Abstract

Based on the archival and published documents, materials of periodicals and other sources, the article characterizes the formation of a cult of the first Soviet astronaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin during the period from April 12 to May 1, 1961. According to the author, the basis of this cult was put by the decisions of the supreme authorities of the USSR on a personal initiative of Nikita Khrushchev and included the following elements: 1) astronaut's rewarding with the state awards and distinctions; 2) inclusion of the first space flight date in the memorial calendar; 3) making decision on the creation of the memorial constructions connected with Gagarin’s name. On this basis, various practices, rituals, and discourses connected with Gagarin’s cult that in general corresponded to the mechanisms of personal glorification during the Stalin’s period in the 1930s and during the Great Patriotic War were built on. The local authorities, separate labor collectives and individual actors seeking to make the contribution to Gagarin's celebration actively participated in the process within the limits of their powers and opportunities. It was expressed in such forms as assignment of Gagarin’s name to various objects, generation of prizes and production initiatives, writing amateurs’ poems on the space theme for the Soviet press, etc. The USSR authorities encouraged the maximum distribution of the Gagarin’s cult throughout the country; however, various initiatives "from below" became noticed and were supported only when they promoted implementation of the consolidating, mobilizational and educational scenarios of the power.