Soviet Life 1969 – Man and Outer Space

Soviet Life magazine of August 1969 was an edition dedicated to “Man and Outer Space”. It is a fascinating publication with a wide range of articles from the technical and factual to the sociological. There is even one entitled “The Legal Status of the Moon” and another interesting read by Yuri Gagarin entitled “Emotions in Outer Space”.

The magazine of course gives a nearly wholly Soviet perspective of Man in Space, but it is a story which the Western World today may hardly be aware of – i.e. the important role which the Soviets played in the early “space race”.

Interestingly this edition was published just a month after the NASA Astronauts had landed on the Moon, and the “race to the moon” was over for the Soviets.

The graphics, photography and layout in this edition are all particularly good. Below are some of my favourites. The illustrator(s)/graphic designer(s) of many of the images are not attributed, but the Art Director attributed in the magazine credits is Marina T. Zabolotskaya.

The Young Cosmanauts Club - Photo Boris Elin
The Young Cosmanauts Club – Photo Boris Elin
At Dawn
At Dawn – Carrier Rocker of Soyuz Spaceship at the launching pad in Baikonur. Photographer not known
Soviet Life, Cover, August 1969
Soviet Life, Cover, August 1969 – Carrier Rocket of the Vostock spaceship. Photo Alexander Mokletsov.

The Earth from Space
The Earth from Space. Photographer not attributed.
Exploring the Moon from Baikonur and Cape Kennedy
Exploring the Moon from Baikonur and Cape Kennedy – Designer not known
John Glenn and Gherman Titov
John Glenn and Gherman Titov at the Lincoln Memorial 1962. Photographer not attributed.
Space Stations of the Future
Space Stations of the Future – Illustrator not known
A Second Expedition to a Strange Planet
A Second Expedition to a Strange Planet – illustrator not known
The Young Cosmanauts Club
The Young Cosmanauts Club – Photo Boris Elin

A bit of background about “Soviet Life” Magazine (abridged) from Wikipedia

Soviet Life, (now known asRussian Life, and previously known as The USSR ) is a  bimonthly magazine of Russian culture. It has been published for over 60 years, and is written and edited by American and Russian staffers and freelancers. While its distant heritage is as a “polite propaganda” tool of the Soviet and Russian government, it is never a blatant Soviet propaganda tool.  It sought to present an informed view of Russian culture, history, scientific achievements and the various peoples inhabiting the Soviet Union. The counterpart of Soviet Life was “America”, published and distributed for a Soviet audience.