The Gagarin Science and Art Festival 2025 was inaugurated at the Russian House in Dhaka on Monday to commemorate the 64th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin鈥檚 historic space flight.
Pavel A Dvoychenkov, director of the Russian House in Dhaka, delivered the opening remarks at the festival, said a press release.
He highlighted Gagarin鈥檚 pioneering flight on April 12, 1961, describing it as the moment when 鈥榟uman civilisation entered the space age鈥� ushering in a new era for humanity.
Dvoychenkov emphasised the strong educational, scientific and cultural ties between Russia and Bangladesh, pointing out to ongoing projects such as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
He also acknowledged the contributions of more than 6,000 Bangladeshi graduates from Russian and Soviet universities, whose direct and active roles have significantly advanced Bangladesh鈥檚 development.
He also appreciated Bangladesh鈥檚 growing interest in space science and astronomy, encouraging the youth to dream big and explore the mysteries of the universe.
The festival, jointly organised by the Bangladesh Astronomical Association, aims to inspire scientific curiosity, creativity, and innovation among the youth through a series of week-long activities.
Following the opening discussion, Dvoychenkov inaugurated the photography exhibition titled Russian Space Expeditions followed by a screening of the documentary titled Yuri Gagarin鈥檚 Parade After Returning from Space and an astronomy workshop.
The main highlights of the week-long festival include seminars and astronomy workshops; rocket model-making competition; quiz competition on space science; painting competition on the theme titled First Man in Space.
The festival will end on April 12.
