Ethiopia honored Yuri Gagarin's historic April 12, 1961, spaceflight first human to orbit Earth, for its 65th anniversary with a Cosmonautics Day ceremony at SSGI, including ambassadorial praise and youth inspiration talks, followed by flower-laying; and Yuri's Night with expert presentations, a student quiz, and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin's live video conference about his ISS mission and futuristic moon mission insights.
April 12, 1961 was a historic day when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space and orbit the Earth. This achievement is considered a major milestone in human space exploration; every year, this day is celebrated as International Cosmonautics Day and 'Yuri's Night'. This year's 65th anniversary was commemorated with two different programs in Ethiopia.
Yuri Gagarin memorial monument wreath-laying
Morning Program: International Cosmonautics Day Celebration
The 2026 Cosmonautics Day morning program was organized by the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) in collaboration with the Russian Embassy and was held at the Yuri Gagarin Memorial Monument at the Institute.
The program was attended by the Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Yevgeny Terekhin, who praised the historical relations between Russia and Ethiopia in the fields of science and technology, especially space science, and noted that Yuri Gagarin’s success is a common victory for humanity.
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Yevgeny Terekhin
Mr Kirubel Menberu, the Managing Director of the Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS), also gave an extensive speech and explanation about Yuri Gagarin's historical legacy, the inspiration this achievement provides to Ethiopian youth, and the lessons to be learned from this historic achievement.
Mr. Kirubel Menberu, Managing Director of Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS).
The morning commemoration program concluded with a ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to Yuri Gagarin by the guests of honor.
Afternoon Program: 'Yuri's Night' at the Russian science and Culture house
The 'Yuri's Night', jointly organized by the Russian Cultural Center and the Ethiopian Space Science Society, was celebrated with a very colorful program in the afternoon.
The event, which took place at the Russian Center for Science and Culture, was officially opened by Dimitry Brilev, a representative of the Russian House, and Mr Kirubel, the director of the Ethiopian Space Science Society. In their opening remarks, both officials highlighted the historical significance of the day and the importance of promoting space science.
Dimitry Brilev, Representative of the Russian House
The event featured extensive and entertaining presentations by three experts in the field. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) OAE NAEC Ethiopia representative, Mr. Nebiyu Suleyman, gave a presentation on the topic “From Sputnik to Soyuz: The Soviet Journey to Human Space Flight”; Dr. (Lt. Col.) Mulubrhan Hailu, a researcher at the Ethiopian Air Force Academy Technical College, gave a fascinating presentation on the topic “Space: It’s Us”. Also, an educational paper presented by Mr. Estifanos Worku, an amateur astronomer and volunteer at the Ethiopian Space Science Society, on the topic “Looking Up, Reaching Beyond” was part of the event. The audience was able to gain a broad understanding of the history of space exploration and the amazing mysteries of the universe from the presentations of these experts.
Presenters of the day: (From left to right)Dr. (Lt. Col.) Mulubrhan Hailu , Mr. Nebiyu Suleyman, Mr. Estifanos Worku
Another interesting part of the event was the space science question and answer competition held between three different schools. The competition, which tested the students’ knowledge of space science, the history of astronomy, and Yuri Gagarin’s space flight, generated a lot of excitement and participation from the audience.
Q&A Contest
What made this year’s Yuri’s Night special was the live video conference with the guest of honor, Russian cosmonaut Alexander Sergeevich Grebenkin. The cosmonaut, who was invited from the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and recently flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX mission, gave an in-depth explanation of his time on the space station and his mission and answered questions from the students.
video conference of Russian cosmonaut Alexander Sergeyevich Grebenkin responding to students
furthermore, He also explained the planned future trips to the moon; he answered interesting questions from the audience, especially from the youth. In his final remarks, he offered inspiring advice to the next generation and future space researchers.
The event concluded in a very lively and educational manner with the presence of students from various schools, members of the Ethiopian Space Science Society, space science enthusiasts, and invited guests of honor.
