Top 10 Russian Cosmonauts Space Traditions Before launch

Space is the area connected to the most sophisticated and cutting-edge technologies, but it is also associated with a mass of strict traditions and even superstitions. Everyone who goes into space must perform a lot of complex rituals, otherwise, the flight will turn into a disaster. We have discussed Top 10 Russian Cosmonauts Space Traditions Before the launch.

The mortality rate in space is 3.74%, so cosmonauts’ profession is extremely dangerous. That is why it is obvious that cosmonauts feel calmer and more comfortable with the help of various rituals, talismans, and amulets.

The most interesting superstitions and space traditions exist in Russian cosmonautics. Some of them date back to our days, some originate from the Soviet era and the first manned spaceflight, and some are even based on ancient Orthodox views.

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Traditionally, cosmonauts take a twig of wormwood to space, since it retains its smell longer than other plants and reminds them about the Earth.

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The future crew visits the memorial dedicated to Yuri Gagarin, as well as the first cosmonauts who died during the space missions: Vladimir Komarov, Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov. Here, the cosmonauts must leave flowers, red carnations, and this is one of the most important space traditions.

Then they go to Yuri Gagarin’s office and write down some messages in the visitors’ book. According to rumors, they also mentally appeal to Gagarin’s spirit, asking him for permission to go on a flight.

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It takes several hours to deliver the missile to the launch place by the locomotive. When the train is a few centimeters from the pad, workers lay coins on the rails, which must be flattened by the wheels. It is believed that this action will bring good luck. But the team itself is strictly forbidden to watch this process not to fail.

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Cosmonauts are required to have a haircut on the day of the flight to fulfill all the space traditions. This, in turn, reminds monastic vows, renunciation of all earthly things.

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On the day before the start, the team receives the blessing of an Orthodox priest.

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The team watches an old movie named “The White Sun of the Desert,” and it is obligatory to do it. The beginning of mandatory watching of the “White Sun of the Desert” is associated with the tragedy of June 30, 1971, when the crew of Dobrovolsky, Volkov, and Patsayev died. The next flight,  more than two years later, passed safely, and it turned out that before the start the crew watched this movie.

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There are many space traditions during the departure. At breakfast, cosmonauts take a sip of champagne (duplicate crew drinks 100 grams of alcohol) and leave autographs on the doors of their apartments. Their departure is accompanied by a song of the old group “Zemlyane.” The song is still popular: “Grass near the house.”

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The crew goes to the launch place by bus, decorated for good luck with horseshoes. When they come out of the bus, the whole team repeats the famous Gagarin’s action: pees on the back right wheel. If there are any women in the crew, they prepare a jar of their urine in advance and sprinkle the wheel from it.

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Then the crew can board in. At the same time, everyone should repeat Gagarin’s famous gesture, waving his hand. According to the space traditions, nobody says them goodbye in response, it is a bad omen.

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Each crew has its own talisman, it is chosen by the captain. As a rule, this is a small toy, and its name is usually “Boris”. “Boris” is tied in the command compartment so that it can be seen by the cameras that monitor the crew during the launch and exit into orbit.