Statue of Yuri Gagarin
Reaching towards the stars from the historic grounds of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the statue of Yuri Gagarin stands as a striking tribute to the first human in space.
Standing 3.5 metres high, this zinc alloy sculpture depicts the pioneering cosmonaut in full spacesuit gear, standing atop a globe. The statue is a faithful replica of the famous monument in Lyubertsy, Russia, where Gagarin trained as a foundry worker before taking off into space history.
Originally gifted to the British Council in 2011 by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, it spent a temporary stint near The Mall before finding its permanent home overlooking the Prime Meridian at Greenwich.