The Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov had a special relationship with friendly communist Vietnam. Titov visited the South Asian state on numerous occasions, participated in meetings and rallies, and received the delegations of workers and party representatives of the sister nation. In Vietnam, the cosmonaut was very much loved, his name was known to every citizen of the country, and the boys dreamed of repeating his feat and rising to the stars.
Titov’s first trip to Vietnam took place just six months after his historic flight. The cosmonaut visited the country at the personal invitation of Ho Chi Minh. Gherman Stepanovich was given a grand welcome, which comprised a variety of tours, including one along the picturesque Halong Bay.
There are many islands in this bay of the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea, most of which have rather peculiar names, such as Dragon’s Head, Fighting Roosters, Dog, Banana, and Incense Burner. Since 1962, there has been Ti-Top Island among them (this is how the surname of the second Soviet cosmonaut sounds in Vietnamese). The island was named by the legendary first President of Democratic Vietnam Ho Chi Minh in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union Gherman Titov.
According to eyewitnesses, Titov and the head of the republic sailed on a boat along the bay and stopped at a small island. The tropical greenery, high cliffs, and golden sand of the beach invited to swim. For the Vietnamese, the water seemed cool, but for a person who grew up in Altai, Siberia, plus 16 degrees Celsius was just right. Titov had a swim and thanked the hosts for the hospitality. The Vietnamese immediately decided to commemorate the event and assigned the island “number 46” the name of Titov.
Soon the American aggression against Vietnam began. At the height of the war, in 1966, the cosmonaut Gherman Titov was appointed chairman of the Soviet-Vietnamese Friendship Society, which was perceived by the people of the friendly republic as a powerful moral support. Gherman Titov remained the head of the organization even after the collapse of the USSR — until the end of his life.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Gherman Titov, a monument was erected on the island named after him, designed by the Vietnamese sculptor Lam Quang Noy. The cosmonaut’s widow, Tamara Titova, was present at the grand inaugural ceremony.
Titov’s first trip to Vietnam took place just six months after his historic flight. The cosmonaut visited the country at the personal invitation of Ho Chi Minh. Gherman Stepanovich was given a grand welcome, which comprised a variety of tours, including one along the picturesque Halong Bay.
There are many islands in this bay of the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea, most of which have rather peculiar names, such as Dragon’s Head, Fighting Roosters, Dog, Banana, and Incense Burner. Since 1962, there has been Ti-Top Island among them (this is how the surname of the second Soviet cosmonaut sounds in Vietnamese). The island was named by the legendary first President of Democratic Vietnam Ho Chi Minh in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union Gherman Titov.
According to eyewitnesses, Titov and the head of the republic sailed on a boat along the bay and stopped at a small island. The tropical greenery, high cliffs, and golden sand of the beach invited to swim. For the Vietnamese, the water seemed cool, but for a person who grew up in Altai, Siberia, plus 16 degrees Celsius was just right. Titov had a swim and thanked the hosts for the hospitality. The Vietnamese immediately decided to commemorate the event and assigned the island “number 46” the name of Titov.
Soon the American aggression against Vietnam began. At the height of the war, in 1966, the cosmonaut Gherman Titov was appointed chairman of the Soviet-Vietnamese Friendship Society, which was perceived by the people of the friendly republic as a powerful moral support. Gherman Titov remained the head of the organization even after the collapse of the USSR — until the end of his life.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Gherman Titov, a monument was erected on the island named after him, designed by the Vietnamese sculptor Lam Quang Noy. The cosmonaut’s widow, Tamara Titova, was present at the grand inaugural ceremony.
