Malaysian artists celebrate Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin with mural in Kuala Lumpur

(From left) Russian Ambassador to Malaysia His Excellency Naiyl M. Latypov, Svetlana Kovaleva, the Russian Centre for Science and Culture's director and national astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Photo: Russian Centre For Science And Culture

“Poekhali! (Let’s go!)” exclaimed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin 60 years ago as the Vostok 1 spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport in Kazakhstan.

The historic date was April 12,1961 and Gagarin became the first person to travel into space.