Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, cynicism towards key Soviet institutions, including the Soviet Space Program, dominated the political landscape. However, with President Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, there has been an attempt to revitalize the Soviet past and political figures, including the Soviet cosmonauts. Therefore, the primary purpose of this project is to analyze the political shift in the narrative surrounding the cosmonauts through an analysis of the three Post-Soviet decades: the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. This project starts with the Yelstin era and examines the political messaging and media produced about the space program, which often ties the accomplishments of the cosmonauts to the horrors of the Soviet Union. The research then continues into the 2000s and 2010s, as President Putin attempts to restore the space program’s legacy and the Cult of Personality around Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, who returned to prominence in 2011. Through an analysis of the media produced in the 21st century and Putin’s actions, a new nostalgia for the program and its place in Soviet history replaces the skepticism produced by the Yelstin era, which has allowed for the production of a new wave of propaganda.

Marissa would like to thank her faculty sponsor Dr. Nori Katagiri for their support with this project.