To The Conquerors Of Space Editorial Photo

The majestic spire of the monument To the Conquerors of Space. This monument was built in 1964 to commemorate the launch of Sputnik, the Earth`s first artificial satellite. The silver rocket, soaring to a height of 100 meters 330 ft., seems eternally frozen in space and time. The rocket rests on a stream of titanium, which glows with magical red flame as it reflects the setting sun. The stream broadens as it nears the earth, so that the monument rests securely on a foundation of granite. A statue of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the founder of theoretical astronautics, stands on the granite pedestal at the foot of the pylon, seeing the rocket off on its journey to the stars. The side walls of the monument are decorated with bronze figures in high relief, which embody the central purpose of the composition: to celebrate the efforts of the scholars, engineers, and workers who created the spacecraft. `When I orbited the Earth in a spaceship, I saw for the first time how beautiful our planet is. Mankind, let us preserve and increase this beauty, and not destroy it!` - Yuri Gagarin.