At 9 o'clock 07 minutes 12 April 1961 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (to the east of the Aral Sea) on a spaceship "Vostok" (weight - 4725 kg, orbital period -. 89.1 minutes, the maximum distance from the Earth - 302 km). After 108 min. Gagarin space flight safely landed on the left bank of the Volga River near the village of Smelovka Tarnovo district of Saratov region (20 km south-west from the city of Engels). His flight Gagarin 3 set new world records: altitude in space, duration of flight in space and carrying capacity of the spacecraft with a man on board. Gagarin's flight was marked as a historic event peoples of the world. Gagarin was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor of Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 6th convocation.
