1st Cosmonauts, Photo Signed by 6 Russian Space Pioneers! Superb

Fantastic autographed color photo signed by the first 6 Soviet cosmonauts in space, 11.5" x 8.5" . Near fine condition with the typical fading to the color, and ight smudging to the ink. Signatures inscribed in Cyrillic. The verso of the photo is date stamped 1964.

Signatures are, from left to right (not necessarily corresponding to pictures):

Gherman Titov (1935-2000)

Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968)

Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937)

Valery Bykovsky (1934-2019)

Andriyan Nikolayev (1929-2004)

Pavel Popovich (1930-2009)

The Soviet Union launched its Vostok space program in 1961, conducting six missions -- and achieving many firsts -- during the next two years. Cold War anxieties fueled the simultaneous development of highly competitive space programs in the United States and the Soviet Union. The two ideologically opposed juggernauts flexed their muscle in many ways, from the nuclear arms race to the Space Race.

Selection and training of Soviet cosmonauts began in 1959. Its first candidates were male, between 25-30, within specific height and weight parameters, and physically fit. They endured a battery of tests that measured physical and psychological endurance as well as technical skills. Most of the cosmonauts had previously served in the Soviet Air Force. Of more than 200 candidates, 20 were chosen, of which these 6 pictured cosmonauts were some. The Sochi 6, also known as the Vanguard 6, were the best and brightest of this 20-person cohort.

Yuri Gagarin (second from left) was the first cosmonaut and first man in space. He manned the Vostok I space capsule on April 12, 1961, making a full orbit around Earth lasting 108 minutes before parachuting into the atmosphere at 23,000 feet.
Gherman Titov (extreme left) led the Vostok II space mission on August 6, 1961, becoming the second cosmonaut and fourth man in space. On August 11, 1962, his colleague Andriyan Nikolayev, commander of Vostok III, became the third cosmonaut and seventh man in space. Pavel Popovich (extreme right), pilot of the Vostok IV, became the fourth cosmonaut and eighth man in space on August 12, 1962. The next two Vostok missions occurred in a pair almost a year later, on June 14 and June 16, 1963, when Valery Bykovsky became the fifth cosmonaut and eleventh man to reach outer space, and Valentina Tereshkova (third from the left, became the sixth cosmonaut and first woman in space. A member of the female cosmonaut corps, Tereshkova had been winnowed down from over 400 candidates.

A remarkable photograph signed by 6 Soviet cosmonauts, from the earliest days of the space program!

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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