Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
Here is an excerpt from the characteristic, issued to him when he finished the school, “Gagarin Y. A. during these two years has been an exemplary student and his picture has been posted on the Honours Board of the school. The school’s administration commended Gagarin Y. A. twice for his excellent studying and social activity. Besides, the plant’s director commended him for his good work on the shop floor.
Student Gagarin was his group’s physical training leader. He sincerely and accurately carried out all commissions of the Komsomol organization and those of the school’s administration.”
Concerning Yuri Gagarin’s choice of his future path, the opinions of those who studied this period of his life differ. There is one detail that mattered – Ivan Nikolayevich Rovnov, who was a graduate of the Leningrad Labour Reserves Vocational School of Physical Culture and Sports, had been his physical training teacher at the Lyubertsy vocational school.
He noticed Gagarin, noticed his aspiration to be the first in all contests, and proposed that he would follow the sports career – become a master of the physical training. Some researchers (Lydia Alekseyevna Obukhova) say that Gagarin nearly left for Riga; others say that after initial tests, which were taken in Mytishi he went to Leningrad to enter the local vocational college of physical culture.
Even the results of Mytishi tests are quoted. During two days, Y. Gagarin demonstrated to the examining commission quite high results in different types of contests. He ran 100 meters in 12.6 seconds, one kilometer – in two minutes and forty six seconds; long jumped five meters and eleven centimeters, did 26 push-ups and received the highest points for performing a special gymnastic set.
Then Gagarin learned from his friends that there was a chance to continue his education in the profession he received at the vocational technical school, but he had to go to Saratov to enter the local Industrial Technical School in his foundry specialization.
Yura Gagarin, Timofey Chugunov and Sasha Petushkov (Alexander Yegorovich) left for Saratov. The school’s administration gave them student assignments and paid their way through to Saratov. They were accompanied by the vocational school’s mentor Vladimir Alexandrovich Nikiforov.
In his entry application to the technical college Gagarin wrote, “To the director of Saratov Industrial Technical College of the Ministry of Labour Reserves from the student of vocational school №10, group 21, Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich, born in 1934 in the Smolensk region, Gzhatsky District, Klushino village administration, Klushino; member of VLKSM since 1949.
Application
I ask You to put me on the student roll of the college under Your charge, since I desire to increase my knowledge in the field of foundry industry and benefit my Motherland as much as possible. All the requirements presented to me, I promise to fulfill honestly and absolutely. 06.07.1951. Student of vocational school №10, Gagarin.”
There is also an autobiography written by Y. A. Gagarin as he was entering the college. It is very interesting to read documents like this. Differences with the later researches of biographers spontaneously catch your eye.
«Autobiography
I, Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich was born on March 9 of 1934, in a family of a poor farmer. My father – Gagarin Aleksey Ivanovich – was born in 1902; he is an invalid of the Patriotic War. My mother – Gagarina Anna Timofeyevna – was born in 1903. My brother – Gagarin Boris Alekseyevich – was born in 1936, presently a student in the Gzhatsk basic middle school.
In 1943, I entered Klushinskaya basic school. In 1945, my family moved to Gzhatsk. I went to the Gzhatsk middle school, finished six grades there and entered the vocational school №10 in Lyubertsy. In 1950, I went to the seventh grade of the Lyubertsy School for the working young people #1. In 1951, I finished the seventh grade of this school with excellent marks.
On December 16 of 1949, I entered Komsomol. Both from the komsomol organization and from the school’s administration I have not had any reprimands.
Y. Gagarin.”
Upon their arrival in Saratov, Y. A. Gagarin and his friends moved into a hostel (at the following address – Michurinskaya Street, 21), to room 9. It is peculiar to note that after he finished the technical college, as it turned out only after his flight into the outer space, he had not been signed out of his room. When this matter was discovered, the hostel director said, “Now we will never sign him out.”
Gagarin and his new friends Vitya Porohonya and Zhenya Steshin not only happened to be group mates, but also were the youngest students in the whole college.
Right away, he and Prohonya signed in to the local basketball section. Soon both of them were included into the college team. Later Gagarin became the team’s captain.
On December 7 of 1951, he received an awarding certificate with the heading, “Merit Certificate issued by Saratov’s city committee in the Affairs of Physical Culture and Sports to Gagarin Y. A., member of the industrial college’s team for the first place in the blitz tournament, devoted to the Constitution Day.”
Master of vocational training, Anatoly Ivanovich Rakcheyev quotes the following characteristic, given to Y. Gagarin after the first year of studying in the college.
“Characterization of the student of the second year of Saratov industrial college of the Ministry of Labour Reserves of USSR, Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich. Student Gagarin Y. A. studies well and takes part in the social activities of the college; he is a member of the bureau of the college’s komsomol organization.
In his group he plays the role of the organizer of sport events and does it well. He devotes much time to the sports.
Section chief. Group tutor. 23.11.1952.”
After the first year of college, by the recommendation of the college’s komsomol bureau, the city committee of VLKSM proposed that he would go as a pioneer leader to a summer camp with children from an orphanage.
In the fall, a letter came to the college, in which it was written, “During his work in the camp, the student of the college under your charge, Gagarin Y. A. showed true responsibility in fulfilling this social commission. He won love and gratitude of foster children. In view of the above mentioned, we ask you to encourage him to the extent possible with in any ways and whatever means are at you disposal…”
The next summer, Y. Gagarin by the decision of the komsomol bureau was assigned as physical culture instructor to one of the largest in the region pioneer camps.