Photo credit: the press service of the Russian Ministry of Education / edu.gov.ru (CC BY 4.0)
A monument to Yuri Gagarin appeared in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), RIA Novosti reports. It was installed on the campus of the University of Kinshasa. The opening ceremony, which took place the day before, on January 27, was attended by Russian diplomats, students and teachers of the university. Russian Ambassador Alexei Sentebov became the guest of honor.
The rector of the university, Jean-Marie Kaembe, called the monument to the first cosmonaut of the planet a symbol of the strengthening of friendly ties between Russia and the DRC. According to him, the decision to erect a monument was a great way to "put into practice and strengthen our friendship with Russia and academic institutions."
The Dialogue of Cultures - United World charity foundation erected dozens of monuments to the cosmonaut in many countries - from Argentina to China, from the USA to Australia. By the anniversary of the first flight into space (the event turned 60 years old in 2021), the number of monuments approached 60, and the geography expanded to 50 countries. The fund is assisted by Russian compatriots. To date, more than 70 monuments of Yuri Gagarin have been installed in more than 60 countries around the world.
Russkiy Mir
