50 years

Yuri Gagarin - was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961.

A postcard with an image of Yuri Gagarin

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Posted by andrew, April 12, 2011. Post has 0 comments.
coin ruble Russia Soviet Union stamp

Solovetsky Monastery

We continue to travel around the world using banknotes in our pocket. Today we are in Russia, Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, where you can find well-known Solovetsky Monastery and Solovki prison camp.

On the 500 rubles bill and far away in the background of the photo - Solovetsky Monastery, the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp (1926–1939), which served as a prototype for the GULAG system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune and military sieges. Its most important structures date from the 16th century when by the end of the 16th century, the abbey had emerged as one of the wealthiest landowners and most influential religious centres in Russia.

Posted by andrew, March 28, 2011. Post has 0 comments.
banknote ruble Russia travel