The fate of women happy. Rumija Nurkanova, now living in the Astrakhan region, said that with a light hand Yuri Gagarin changed the name, and now bringing up her grandchildren.
Today the whole world celebrates the 55th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space. In different parts of the world marked the festive events devoted to the cosmonautics Day. A special role this holiday plays for the family Nurkenovich that are directly related to the event. The fact that the five-year Rumia and her grandmother Anahat were the first inhabitants of the Earth who met Yuri Gagarin from space. In that historical day they planted potatoes in three kilometers from the village of Smelovka, Saratov region.
“First, I saw two bright spots in the sky, then landed a big parachute, a lot of rope and something big and orange. The astronaut was moving in our direction – my grandmother began to pray, and we started to run away afraid. He stopped only when he heard someone speak Russian”, – recalls with delight a woman.
Rumia considers this moment the most vivid in my life, because then with a light hand Gagarina she appeared and a new name. Apparently, not heard, as had the girl, Yuri named her Rita. When Rumia grew, she begged to call myself the only way. And perhaps this influenced her fate.
As relatives of Yury Gagarin
Currently, Rita lives in the city of Kharabali in the Astrakhan region. She works as a waitress in a local café. Rita is married, she has grown lovely daughter, who gave a grandmother of two wonderful grandchildren. The boy’s name is Rasim, and the girl is Diana. Incidentally, the granddaughter of Rita celebrates her birthday right after the Day of Astronautics – on April 13.
According to the woman who was her grandmother kept in touch with Gagarin, but to see each other again with great astronaut she was not meant to be. But the family is now strictly adheres to a unique tradition. “This day is very special for me, Gagarin for me the greatest man in the world. In April, I am always in the Saratov region and participate in the celebration of the cosmonautics Day. Now I’m in Saratov, here he unveiled a bust of Gagarin. Potatoes will be planted definitely, probably, in this anniversary year, almost right on the landing site Gagarin. And house husband too will put a few bushes – a family tradition we do not break,” says Nurkanova in an interview with TASS.
It is worth noting that my grandmother Anahat Kul’ture died in January 1968, the same year, when at the age of 34 died, and Gagarin. After seven years of space flight, the life of Yuri Alexeyevich was tragically cut short in the performance of special tasks. Roomie was just 13 years old, and she painfully took the news. The girl cried for a few days.
Later the famous artist Vladimir Dzhanibekov has painted a picture, which he was inspired by the historical moment of a landing of Yury Gagarin. The product was given the name “Star child”. In the life of Rita Nurkanovi there were other interesting moments to shake hands with cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, correspondence with relatives of the Gagarin… But the re-meeting with Yuriy it never happened.