The 50th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's Space Flight and the Launch of the First Spececraft to Venus, Bulgaria

I came across a post on FB today which reminded me what day it was (one of the times when FB is actually useful for something).

Quoting that post:  On this day, 51 years ago, it was said that Yuri Gagarin, was killed in a mysterious plane crash, just seven years after his historic flight. Gagarin and his instructor were killed. The circumstances were unclear and the accident was hushed up for days. Documents declassified 50 years later say the most likely cause was a sharp manoeuvre to avoid a weather balloon. Many many questions remain, nonetheless.

Well I guess we will never really know the truth, and even if we do, that can never bring back someone to the living. Gagarin lived for a very short while unfortunately, but he will always be remembered and cherished!

Just this past weekend I did a short trip to Sofia, Bulgaria's capital and paid a visit to the philately store :D And among else, got myself this issue from 12th April 2011, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Yuri's flight into space.

It also features the launch of the first spacecraft to Venus (Venera 1), which was launched by the Soviet Union on February 12, 1961 and flew past Venus  (some 100.000 km from it), but I guess that is considered a success too for those times, esp. since unlike the previous attempt, when its sister ship even failed to leave the orbit of Earth.

75 Years since the Birth of Gagarin, Macedonia

If it wasn't for his tragic death, today Gagarin would have been celebrating his 82nd birthday...but unfortunately he only managed to get to his 34th one.....

This FDC was issued on 2 February 2009 by the Macedonian Post Office, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Gagarin's birth....with a face value of the stamp of 50 MKD - one of the numerous stamps with simply useless values, since they are just too high to be used on either a postcard or regular letter up to 20 grams. And that is such a pity cos I am sure that many people would love to see this stamp on the mail I send, but unfortunately the Macedonian postal authorities didn't really care about it.

Anyways, just wanted to commemorate this day, won't go into Gagarin stories...you all know about him and his achievements and importance :)
It just kinda surprised me that there was no google-doodle about Gagarin today....

75th Anniversary of the Birth of Y.A. Gagarin, Russia

This is one of my most special and most favourite covers. Reasons....a bunch

This stamp was issued in 2009 in order to commemorate Gagarin's birthday, who if he was alive, would have turned 75....sad to see what a short life he had (born 1934 - died 1968)...a one that ended in tragic death.
I dont know if its just me, but this stamp just radiates with some warmth,and thats why i love it..plus it was sent from such a dear friend of mine, who always uses such nice and different stamps....my dear Anastasia.
And im more than thankful that she included the vignette too...makes it so special!

lets not neglect the small stamp below, which is a definitive issued in 2002 in a set of four stamps representing architecture, and this is "Oranienbaum Chinese Palace". Its also a self-adhesive one.