India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval got a very rare opportunity to see Yuri Gagarin’s popular black Volga car in Moscow. During his visit to Russia’s Valentina Tereshkova National Space Centre, Doval took a close look at Gagarin’s official service car GAZ-21 Volga.

This is the same iconic car, which was specially gifted to him by the Cosmonaut Training Center soon after his historic space flight in 1961. This classic car kept in the Space Center of Russia is very important not only for automobile lovers but also for space history lovers. Let us try to know about this car as well as Yuri Gagarin.

GAZ-21 Volga: Classic Machine of the Soviet Era

Gagarin’s GAZ-21 Volga is one of the most popular sedan cars of the Soviet Union. The Volga series, launched in 1956, was known for its strength, comfort and reliability. The GAZ-21 model was specially designed for government officials and big personalities.

This car came with a 2.5 liter petrol engine, which gave excellent performance at that time. The sturdy body, classic design and long driving range made it perfect for long distance journeys. This car was given to Gagarin in honor of his space mission, which was a special gift from the Soviet government.

Today this shiny black GAZ-21 Volga is the main attraction of the exhibition at the National Space Center in Moscow. For automobile history buffs, this car is a fine example of Soviet engineering of the 1960s.

Yuri Gagarin (Soviet Union Air Force pilot and cosmonaut).

Who was Yuri Gagarin?

Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet Union Air Force pilot and cosmonaut. On April 12, 1961, he orbited the Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft and became the first human to go to space. His flight was only 108 minutes long, but it opened new doors for the entire mankind.

Gagarin is called ‘Hero of Humanity’ and ‘Columbus of Cosmos’. He was born in a small village in the Smolensk region. He joined the Soviet Air Force and proved to be an excellent pilot. After space flight, he became a global superstar. People from all over the world were eager to see him.

Unfortunately, his MiG-15 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in 1968 and he died at the age of just 34. His death has been controversial, but his legacy still lives on. Gagarin remains a symbol of space exploration and many countries have built monuments in his memory.