The inauguration ceremony of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Yuri Gagarin’s Space Flight and visit to then Ceylon was concluded on April 6, 2021 at the Russian House in Colombo in the presence of dignitaries at the event.
Among them were Chief Guest, State Minister of Skills Development Vocational Education, Research and Innovation Dr. Seetha Arambepola, Deputy Head of Mission and Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation Alexey Budanov, State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Distance Learning Promotion and President of the Sri Lanka – Russia Friendship Society, Susil Premjayantha, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka – Russia Friendship Society, Anastasia Khokhlova, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and Director of the Russian House in Colombo and Chief Executive Officer of the Russian House in Colombo Buddhapriya Ramanayaka.
The event was organised by the Russian House in Colombo in partnership with the Sri Lanka Russia Friendship Society in a joint collaboration with Anura Samaraweera, Member of the International Association of Philatelic Societies and Assistant Treasurer of the Philatelic Society of Sri Lanka.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presence of Magilin Nona, ‘the girl who was chosen to garland Gagarin’ back in 1961. She was chosen for this honourable task due to her heroism in saving the lives of people from drowning when she was merely a teenager.