11:56 - 10.10.2017

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‘Sputnik – 60’ exhibition opened at Russian Information-Cultural Center (RICC) in Baku on 9 October.

The event is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the launch of the first Soviet artificial Earth satellite that laid the foundation of the space era for the mankind. The exhibition was organized by the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities and the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Azerbaijan.

Valentin Denisov, the head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representation in Azerbaijan delivered the opening speech at the exhibition.

He said: "The 60th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet satellite is the discovery of the space age. Among us today is cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov, who worked in space for more than 170 days, nearly half a year. People of such fate deserve our respect. We thank the Roscosmos Corporation that it chose Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus for organizing its exhibition.”

A video greeting to the participants of the Baku exhibition, the astronauts of the International Space Station was presented.

The following speakers addressed with greeting words to the participants of the event: Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in the Azerbaijan Republic Vladimir Dorokhin; Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Azerbaijan Gennady Ahramovich; test-cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov; Archbishop Alexander of Baku and Azerbaijan; Milli Mejlis MP, chairman of the Russian community of Azerbaijan Mikhail Zabelin; representative of the Center of Public Communications of state corporation Rosatom Denis Metalnikov.

The opening ceremony was attended by teachers and students of Azerbaijani universities, teachers and pupils of schools, representatives of Russian compatriots' organizations in Azerbaijan.

The exhibition will be open at the RICC until 27 October 2017.