On the 12th of April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first-ever human to travel into outer space and to orbit the earth. Every year, Russia, along with the rest of the world, celebrates Gagarin’s achievement, as it should be celebrated. Gagarin will remain recognised and revered throughout the history of humanity, as he should be. But let’s briefly discuss a man often forgotten, without whom Gagarin never would have made it into space: Sergei Korolev.
Sergei Korolev was a soviet rocket designer, spacecraft engineer, and was responsible for the design of and the chief engineer for the R-7 rocket and Sputnik 1, which put the first dog, Laika, in space, and later Gagarin himself. However, before his work on the Vostok and Sputnik missions, Korolev was falsely accused of being a traitor to the Soviet Union and was sent to a labour camp, where he suffered greatly. Korolev spent nearly six years imprisoned before he was released and could continue his work designing the rockets that would send not only a man to space but also three dogs.
Yet Korolev didn’t receive much recognition for his work during his life. He died in 1966 at the age of 59, and only after his death did it become known to the world that it was indeed Sergei Korolev who was responsible for the Vostok and Sputnik missions. Korolev’s death was unexpected and many speculate it was due to injuries he sustained while in the prison camps.
These days Sergei Korolev is more well known and his portrait is displayed aboard the International Space Station in his honour. Korolev only gained the respect and recognition he deserved after his death, while he suffered terribly in his life.
Many people think greatness is something one is born with, something that comes naturally, whereas in reality greatness is the result of hard work, resilience and persistence. And greatness is often sadly only recognised after death, such as in the case of Van Gogh, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson, to name a few.
This might all sound a bit depressing, but the point that greatness can be achieved, no matter your age, field of work or study, race, gender etc. Greatness is something that can be achieved if you work hard enough and are dedicated enough. The lesson is not to chase greatness for fame or recognition, but to do it because you love what you do and can contribute to society. If someone tells you that you will never do anything remarkable, don’t listen to them. If you are told that you will never do or create anything new or original, ignore them and try to do it anyway. Life, as we all know, can at times be difficult and painful - so if things get to that point, remember Sergei Korolev. He survived terrible hardships and still did great things, and because of him, humans could reach space.
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