Letter to wife before Gagarin's flight

Two days before departure, Gagarin wrote a farewell letter to his wife and two daughters, in case of a bad case.

' Dear loved ones, Valechka (1), Lenochka and Galochka, dear,

I decided to write a few lines to confide and share with my mother and my children the joy and happiness that I enjoyed today. Today, the Government Committee decided to send the first three flights into space. Dear Valyusha (2), do you know how happy I am and want you and your children to be happy with you? A normal human being entrusted with such a great national mission: Open the path to the universe!

Can you dream of something bigger than that?

Because it is history, is a new era!

One more day, Dad will leave. During that time, mother and children are doing their jobs. The great task is on my shoulders. If only before I left, I would be able to stay with my parents for a bit. But unfortunately my parents are too far away. But even so, I still feel my parents are beside me.

He fully believes in technology. It is not allowed by us. But it often happens that there is someone who breaks his neck. There may also be something going on here. Although he himself does not believe it. But if something happens, I wish my parents, first of all I, Valyusha, don't fall over in pain. Because life is life, no one is guaranteed that tomorrow's accident will not happen. Take care of our daughters, love them as you love. Raise you to become not the ladies, the mother-in-law, but into the real people, so that the waves of life do not frighten you. Raise your children to those who are worthy of society with the communists. The state will help me do that. As for my own life, please arrange according to your own will, as my heart tells me. I do not bind you anything and do not have the right to do it. But this letter became so sad. You yourself don't believe it. I hope you will never have to see it, and you will have to be ashamed of your passing moment. But if something happens, I need to know the end.

Up to now, he still lives honestly, fairly, and is useful for everyone, even though not very much. As a child, he read the words of VI Chkalov (3): ' If you were a human, you must be the first person '. So he tried and will be like that to the end. Valechka, I want to give this flight to the people of the new communist society that we are entering, for our great nation, for our science.

I hope after a few days, we will be happy again.

Valechka, don't forget your parents, if you can help them a bit. Please send your greetings to them, ask them to forgive you for not knowing anything about this, because you are not allowed to know. That is all. Say goodbye to your loved ones. Hold tight, kiss me and kids. Say goodbye, your father and Yura.

10.04.61 '.

Gagarin's wife Valentina Ivanovna only read this letter after the day he died on March 27, 1968.

Note:

(1), (2) - They are all about calling Gagarin Valentina and his wife.

(3) - Chkalov - The most famous test pilot of the Soviet Union in the pre-war period, the first to fly off from Moscow through the North Pole to the United States.