The Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov said in one of his interviews that his generation was the last one to dream about the space. The desire of children to explore the vast of the Universe has almost disappeared over the past years.
       "Young people are absolutely unaware of who Korolev, Tereshkova or even Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin are," the astronaut Vladimir Kovalenok lamented.
       The twice Hero of the Soviet Union, who spent almost 300 days and nights in space, arrived in Ufa to improve the current situation. Vladimir Kovalenok is the head of the Russian Federation of Astronautics that is the successor of the similar organization of the Soviet times.
       "The Federation of Astronautics exists for more than 30 years. It has two primary tasks: to stir the young to activity and to help veterans," the astronaut said. "The monitoring we carried out gave regrettable results. Moscow teenagers associate Korolev Street with the pop singer and consider that Americans were the first to fly into space. My grandson confessed that he did not read my book. The Federation wants to change this state of things. We consider astronautics to be our national pride, and seek to explain this to the youth. Now the Federation needs the support of regions, especially of such progressive ones as Bashkortostan. Here are active young people, progressive Government, higher education institutions connected with aircraft building and space."
       The Russian Federation of Astronautics opened its regional offices in 58 regions of the country. Now there is an office in Bashkortostan as well. The work is going to be intensive and diverse. Astronauts and constructors will come to the republic to conduct lessons in schools. Schoolchildren and students, who will become active participants of the movement, will be able to watch launching of manned spaceships from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
       Vladimir Kovalenok mentioned that Russia managed to preserve the main things that are material and human resources. That is why leadership in space technologies must remain ours. But it is necessary to open space for the young.
       "When the project of the International Space Station is over, we must create the national space project," the twice Hero of the Soviet Union confessed. "I am against space tourism, as it takes too many efforts, which can be better directed to personnel training. Astronautics is a great thing. It is immunization against all social ailments. Those who wish to work for space will never become drug addicts. Astronautics gives great opportunities. Besides, even those who worked with Gagarin are still alive and they are eager to share their experience. The Federation of Astronautics unites more than 300 thousand specialists. We invited the man who sent Gagarin into space to one of the conferences. He cried as he thought that he was forgotten long ago and nobody needed him. This is not true. We search for scientists all over the country and unite them. Incredible things happen sometimes. For example, one of the unique specialists worked as a guard at the parking lot. This is inadmissible."
       In 2011, it will be 50 years since the man first flu into space. The Federation of Astronautics plans to organize a number of conferences. But the festivities are not the most important thing. Active work in the regions is much more significant.
       "I spent much time in space, but, to my great embarrassment, I did not know that some equipment was produced in Ufa," Kovalenok said. "Ufa turned out to be a close city to every cosmonaut. One of Ufa enterprises makes very good electric razors, which every cosmonaut has. They are also in every museum devoted to astronautics. It is a common thing: a cosmonaut has scarcely landed when he is approached and asked to give something from his belongings for the museum. What can he give immediately? We usually give an "Agidel" razor."
       In course of the conversation, Vladimir Kovalenok repeatedly emphasized that space was the national pride. And it is not an abstract notion. Every city, a cosmonaut was born and grew up in, is proud of its hero. The head of the regional office of the Federation of Astronautics Ramil Davletbaev agreed with this position.
       "Lessons of patriotism in schools, meetings with cosmonauts and excursions to Baikonur are the minimum task of the office. We consider that our primary goal is to train a cosmonaut from Bashkortostan," Davletbaev said.
       Vladimir Kovalenok stressed that the Federation does not take young people to Star City. However, it is able to make the young believe again in a dream about unknown planets. Space turns out to be much nearer than it seems to be."
       Photo by Andrey Starostin.