Phenomenon: The Lost Archives

Season 1, Episode 3: Stolen Glory: The Cover-up of Cosmonaut Vladimir Ilyushin

Select Source

On April 12th, 1961, the Soviet Union reports the successful launch, orbit and reentry of the first man in space, Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. With the collapse of communism and the rise of freedom in the Russian Federation, recent access to documents in the Kremlin archives reveal a story intended to remain buried forever. Yuri Gagarin, the icon of triumphant communism known world over, was not the first man in space. Join us for a visit with Vladimir Ilyushin, the unsung hero of the first manned Soviet Space mission.