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Soviet Space Dogs
This book is dedicated to the Soviet Space Dogs, who played a crucial part in the Soviet Space program. These homeless dogs, plucked from the streets of Moscow, were selected because they fitted the program's criteria: weighing no more than 15 pounds, measuring no more than 14 inches in length, robust, photogenic and with a calm temperament. These characteristics enabled the dogs to withstand the extensive training that was needed to prepare them for suborbital, then for orbital, space fights.
On 3 November 1957, the dog Laika was the first Earth-born creature to enter space, making her instantly famous around the world. She did not return. Her death, a few hours after launching, transformed her into a legendary symbol of sacrifice. Two further strays, Belka and Strelka, were the first beings to make it back from space, and were swiftly immortalized in children's books and cartoons. Images of the Space Dogs proliferated, reproduced on everyday goods across the Soviet Union: cigarette packets, tins of sweets, badges, stamps and postcards all bore their likenesses. Soviet Space Dogs uses these unique items to illustrate the story (in fact and fiction) of how they became fairytale idols. The first book to document these items, it contains more than 350 images, almost all of which are previously unpublished, and many of which have never been seen before outside Russia. The rich and varied ephemera (from cigarette packets to sweet wrappers and children's toys) of Soviet graphics will have immense appeal to the art and design market, as well as appealing to dog-lovers everywhere.
On 3 November 1957, the dog Laika was the first Earth-born creature to enter space, making her instantly famous around the world. She did not return. Her death, a few hours after launching, transformed her into a legendary symbol of sacrifice. Two further strays, Belka and Strelka, were the first beings to make it back from space, and were swiftly immortalized in children's books and cartoons. Images of the Space Dogs proliferated, reproduced on everyday goods across the Soviet Union: cigarette packets, tins of sweets, badges, stamps and postcards all bore their likenesses. Soviet Space Dogs uses these unique items to illustrate the story (in fact and fiction) of how they became fairytale idols. The first book to document these items, it contains more than 350 images, almost all of which are previously unpublished, and many of which have never been seen before outside Russia. The rich and varied ephemera (from cigarette packets to sweet wrappers and children's toys) of Soviet graphics will have immense appeal to the art and design market, as well as appealing to dog-lovers everywhere.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
19 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 29, 2019
This was a really interesting book that I would recommend to anyone with any interest in the early space programmes, or for that matter USSR, who was the leader in the early space programmes. I think a lot of people fond of classic science fiction would also like it, it ties in with so much of the early writings in that genera.
The author is a senior research fellow with a Russian museum and so had access to a wonderful amount of data about the early space programme. This book is full of information about the dogs used by the USSR to research the ability of an organism to survive launch, orbit and reentry. It is an amazing story, well told and full of compassion for the dogs as well as a clear sight of the programme and the political climate in which it existed.
Like most people I knew a little 'about' the history of dogs in the Soviet space research. I could probably have named Laika, the "first Earth-born creature in outer space" but I can't pretend to have known her story in any detail. I would have been hard pressed to name or recognise the names of Belka and Strelka, the most famous of the canine 'cosmonautes'. Most certainly I did not know the half of their lives; all the dogs on the programme were strays, captured off the streets if they conformed to the weight and size required. How wild is that? The early exploration was done by strays. But this, apparently, fitted the USSR ideology very well - one learns a lot about the ideology of the USSR in this book. Both the pervasive, endemic secrecy and the world view.
The book is translated very well, the dry, practical, serious Russian attitude to the story comes out in the text, but it is livened up by the fascination of the subject matter, a multitude of images showing the world wide public fascination with the canine cosmonauts and, for me, one other thing: I know it is immensely practical, matter of fact and un-humorous, but the title just cracked me up every time. Soviet Space Dogs, proclaims the cover most earnestly, but EVERY TIME I saw it, the theme from the Muppets 'Pigs In Space' kept playing in my head. It was terrible, it took me entirely by surprise each time, I swear I nearly choked reading this book.
Several things of note; I am glad I now know the true story of Laika, it is sad and pathetic, it deserves to be know and remembered. No spoilers, read it! This book talks about 42 launches! 42! I never knew there were that many, and the author estimates that around twenty of those dogs never survived, including Laika, though the ones that did had a variety if interesting lives. What is more fascinating to someone in this day and age, is that the number of dogs, their names, their true history and many other things cannot be known. The pathological levels of secrecy the USSR operated under meant that a lot of this was never recorded, or intentionally recorded incorrectly. So different from what we know of as science.
A few stories stood out for me; in one case reporters were invited to a press conference and made much of the dogs that were involved in the space programme. No interest was shown in the human astronauts sitting along side the reporters; they remained anonymous and no one knew who they were until afterwards.
In another section the author mentioned that Belka and Strelka were in fact the first 'pop stars' of the Soviets; where the society rejected that type of Western culture, no idols or 'pop icons' were really allowed. But because the space dogs promoted the ideological image of USSR as world leaders into space, the dogs were allowed to become celebrities in their own rights. They in fact got the adulation and recognition that the scientists deserved (as the author makes clear) because the scientists were forced to work in secrecy and were never made known to the public for their achievements.
Anyway a really interesting book,which tells a story about a tiny yet fascinating part of the early attempts of man (and more specifically communist USSR) to get into space.
The author is a senior research fellow with a Russian museum and so had access to a wonderful amount of data about the early space programme. This book is full of information about the dogs used by the USSR to research the ability of an organism to survive launch, orbit and reentry. It is an amazing story, well told and full of compassion for the dogs as well as a clear sight of the programme and the political climate in which it existed.
Like most people I knew a little 'about' the history of dogs in the Soviet space research. I could probably have named Laika, the "first Earth-born creature in outer space" but I can't pretend to have known her story in any detail. I would have been hard pressed to name or recognise the names of Belka and Strelka, the most famous of the canine 'cosmonautes'. Most certainly I did not know the half of their lives; all the dogs on the programme were strays, captured off the streets if they conformed to the weight and size required. How wild is that? The early exploration was done by strays. But this, apparently, fitted the USSR ideology very well - one learns a lot about the ideology of the USSR in this book. Both the pervasive, endemic secrecy and the world view.
The book is translated very well, the dry, practical, serious Russian attitude to the story comes out in the text, but it is livened up by the fascination of the subject matter, a multitude of images showing the world wide public fascination with the canine cosmonauts and, for me, one other thing: I know it is immensely practical, matter of fact and un-humorous, but the title just cracked me up every time. Soviet Space Dogs, proclaims the cover most earnestly, but EVERY TIME I saw it, the theme from the Muppets 'Pigs In Space' kept playing in my head. It was terrible, it took me entirely by surprise each time, I swear I nearly choked reading this book.
Several things of note; I am glad I now know the true story of Laika, it is sad and pathetic, it deserves to be know and remembered. No spoilers, read it! This book talks about 42 launches! 42! I never knew there were that many, and the author estimates that around twenty of those dogs never survived, including Laika, though the ones that did had a variety if interesting lives. What is more fascinating to someone in this day and age, is that the number of dogs, their names, their true history and many other things cannot be known. The pathological levels of secrecy the USSR operated under meant that a lot of this was never recorded, or intentionally recorded incorrectly. So different from what we know of as science.
A few stories stood out for me; in one case reporters were invited to a press conference and made much of the dogs that were involved in the space programme. No interest was shown in the human astronauts sitting along side the reporters; they remained anonymous and no one knew who they were until afterwards.
In another section the author mentioned that Belka and Strelka were in fact the first 'pop stars' of the Soviets; where the society rejected that type of Western culture, no idols or 'pop icons' were really allowed. But because the space dogs promoted the ideological image of USSR as world leaders into space, the dogs were allowed to become celebrities in their own rights. They in fact got the adulation and recognition that the scientists deserved (as the author makes clear) because the scientists were forced to work in secrecy and were never made known to the public for their achievements.
Anyway a really interesting book,which tells a story about a tiny yet fascinating part of the early attempts of man (and more specifically communist USSR) to get into space.
October 20, 2021
Really well researched, detailed and with plenty to think about, especially with regards to how the dogs were used and valued by the two opposing ideologies. Loved all the pictures of the soviet space dog merchandise as well. A niche interest, but a very well presented one!
February 6, 2018
"We were born to make fairy tales come true."
I found this book by chance in the Russian bookshop at Waterstones Piccadilly. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but Soviet Space Dogs immediately stood out to me. Despite being a bit on the pricey side, it is such a quaint little book. Author Olesya Turkina is a Senior Research Fellow at the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, and her knowledge shines through this volume. Much like a museum exhibit, this reads like an informative piece packed with facts and pictures all pieced together by a stunning design.
The subject matter was somewhat hard to swallow. The name ‘Laika’ (which, coincidentally, was not her only name) resonates strongly in popular culture; however, most details remained unknown until 2002. These stray dogs roamed the streets of Moscow and were deemed as worthy candidates for the space program as long as they met certain criteria (weight, size, sex, being photogenic, etc.). On the other hand, their lack of background gave Soviet ideology enough room to make up the rest of their stories as they saw fit. Ultimately, these four-legged cosmonauts served their purpose as symbols of Soviet ideology, heroes willing to sacrifice themselves to fulfill our life-long dream of space exploration and endless thirst for knowledge. Unlike their human counterparts, none of them volunteered or gave their consent to the inhumane tests they were forced to endure. Truthfully, even though Soviet Propaganda had successfully turned Laika's story into a fairy tale, her death neither was justified nor deterred scientists from conducting further experiments.
Other dogs mentioned in this book include Belka and Strelka, which achieved fame during their lifetime and cast a new light to space exploration. While Soviet ideology celebrated their acts of heroism, others raised their concerns for the well-being of these animals. Fortunately, with the fall of the USSR, higher mammals were no longer being sent into orbit.
Despite its occasional lack of narrative structure, I think this book is a fair and well-deserved rendition of the sad lives led by these dogs. I was also surprised to find out that the details of Laika’s tragic demise had not been revealed until relatively recently.
I found this book by chance in the Russian bookshop at Waterstones Piccadilly. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but Soviet Space Dogs immediately stood out to me. Despite being a bit on the pricey side, it is such a quaint little book. Author Olesya Turkina is a Senior Research Fellow at the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, and her knowledge shines through this volume. Much like a museum exhibit, this reads like an informative piece packed with facts and pictures all pieced together by a stunning design.
The subject matter was somewhat hard to swallow. The name ‘Laika’ (which, coincidentally, was not her only name) resonates strongly in popular culture; however, most details remained unknown until 2002. These stray dogs roamed the streets of Moscow and were deemed as worthy candidates for the space program as long as they met certain criteria (weight, size, sex, being photogenic, etc.). On the other hand, their lack of background gave Soviet ideology enough room to make up the rest of their stories as they saw fit. Ultimately, these four-legged cosmonauts served their purpose as symbols of Soviet ideology, heroes willing to sacrifice themselves to fulfill our life-long dream of space exploration and endless thirst for knowledge. Unlike their human counterparts, none of them volunteered or gave their consent to the inhumane tests they were forced to endure. Truthfully, even though Soviet Propaganda had successfully turned Laika's story into a fairy tale, her death neither was justified nor deterred scientists from conducting further experiments.
Other dogs mentioned in this book include Belka and Strelka, which achieved fame during their lifetime and cast a new light to space exploration. While Soviet ideology celebrated their acts of heroism, others raised their concerns for the well-being of these animals. Fortunately, with the fall of the USSR, higher mammals were no longer being sent into orbit.
Despite its occasional lack of narrative structure, I think this book is a fair and well-deserved rendition of the sad lives led by these dogs. I was also surprised to find out that the details of Laika’s tragic demise had not been revealed until relatively recently.
September 2, 2024
There were so many dogs! Some of them even lived!
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April 14, 2025You deserved better 💔
March 30, 2020
Dieses Buch beinhaltet vieles, das mein Herz höher schlagen lässt: Russland, Hunde, Raumfahrt, eine Dosis Retrofeeling, eine bibliophile Aufmachung und viel neues Wissen.
Klar wusste ich, dass Tiere in den Weltraum geschickt wurde. Aber Genaueres war mir nicht bekannt. Turkina, ihrerseits vom Fach, weiss also, worüber sie schreibt, stellt hier die berühmten Hunde der russischen Raumfahrt in den Mittelpunkt.
Man lernt Hintergründe kennen, die Hunde, vor allem die Kultur, in der alles stattfand. Einige Tiere wurden weltberühmt und zu Helden hochsterilisiert, während andere qualvoll sterben musste. Dieses Buch bietet einen vertieften Einblick in dieses Thema.
Am meisten lebt der Titel jedoch von den zahlreichen Abbildungen, die dem Buch einen ganz besonderen Flair verleihen. Es ist eine Zeitreise in klein.
Ich kann verstehen, dass die Zielgruppe dieses Buches eher klein ist. Wer sich aber auch nur ein klein wenig für das Thema interessiert - ich kann das Buch nur wärmstens empfehlen.
Klar wusste ich, dass Tiere in den Weltraum geschickt wurde. Aber Genaueres war mir nicht bekannt. Turkina, ihrerseits vom Fach, weiss also, worüber sie schreibt, stellt hier die berühmten Hunde der russischen Raumfahrt in den Mittelpunkt.
Man lernt Hintergründe kennen, die Hunde, vor allem die Kultur, in der alles stattfand. Einige Tiere wurden weltberühmt und zu Helden hochsterilisiert, während andere qualvoll sterben musste. Dieses Buch bietet einen vertieften Einblick in dieses Thema.
Am meisten lebt der Titel jedoch von den zahlreichen Abbildungen, die dem Buch einen ganz besonderen Flair verleihen. Es ist eine Zeitreise in klein.
Ich kann verstehen, dass die Zielgruppe dieses Buches eher klein ist. Wer sich aber auch nur ein klein wenig für das Thema interessiert - ich kann das Buch nur wärmstens empfehlen.
May 16, 2017
Fuel produce beautiful books and this is no exception, just wish it had been published in a larger format to give the beautiful illustrations a bit more clarity to those of us who have eyesight which isn't quite what it was. Olesya Turkina tells for the first time in great detail the story of the dogs who pioneered the way way to the Cosmos as the advance guard for Yuri Gagarin and in so doing became Soviet folk heros of equal magnitude. In a society that very much promoted a hive/all for the greater good mentality the dogs were more than mere disposable experimental subjects (at least no more than their human counterparts) and took their place in the pantheon of those propelled by the system to the unsought status of Heros of the Soviet Union. Alongside the story of the ordinary Soviet mongrel plucked from a life of scavenging on the streets to that of Hero of the Soviet Union Turkina has presented the incredible iconography that grew up around the dogs. WHile most people outside the Soviet Bloc will know of Laika few will be familiar with the league of dogs who were among the first Earth creatures to experience the Cosmos. This is a fascinating and informative account of the politics, morality and iconography of a very special time in Earth history. Very highly recommended.
July 2, 2020
I enjoyed this book, primarily the brilliant essay that is its main text. However, the written content consists only of this essay. While the essay is supplemented by hundreds of excellent images, from photos of the space dogs to a in-depth catalog of Soviet space exploration artifacts from the USSR and across the globe, the essay and the images are seldom closely related. Basically, you end up with two books: a less-than-book-length, very interesting and informed essay on the space dog program, and a collection of photos of memorabilia. Both interesting, but it makes a strange book. Still, I would recommend it for anyone interested in this small piece of space history.
December 28, 2014
A beautiful book for anyone interested in dogs, the space programme, the USSR, or 1960s ephemera. Mixing fascinating, and often heartbreaking, facts about the dogs involved in the Soviet space programme (did you know they were all female, because there wasn't space in the capsule for a male dog to cock his leg?) with postcards, stamps and toys released to celebrate 'Muttnik' mania, this was a sweet and enjoyable read.
August 22, 2016
Very sad, but informative and beautifully presented.
July 6, 2022
3.5 Stars!
“They became an ideal and this ideal was perfectly human: to sacrifice yourself for the sake of humanity at large; and if you were lucky, become a hero, beloved by the whole country.”
This is actually a really eerie and haunting book. You would be forgiven for thinking that this was some kind of send up, joke book along the ideas of what Kosmischer Laufer or “This Ain’t California” did for the former East Germany, but no just like Christopher Herwig’s series of books on Soviet bus stops, this is 100% for real.
Laika obviously remains the rock star of the space dogs, followed by Belka and Strelka. Clearly there hangs the serious issue of animal cruelty over this whole programme, though a fair point is raised as we learn about hyper-sensitive groups and the moral outrage in the west complaining about the maltreatment of animals, whilst at the same time these same nations were colonising millions of humans or in the case of the United States which was treating millions of its African-American population worse than animals through enforced segregation.
This is totally jam packed with images of ephemera in the shape of matchbox labels, postcards, stamps, books, confectionery tins and many other manifestations of toys and other souvenirs. And these are not just limited to the former USSR but from locations such as Guinea, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Japan, France, Italy and even the UK and the US.
We learn that the rhesus macaque programme followed on after the dogs, and surprisingly this went on all the way until 1997, when they spent 15 days from Dec 24th, 1996 to 7th Jan, 1997. So overall, this was a lovely presented book, and I certainly learned more about the Soviet space dogs than I ever thought possible!
“They became an ideal and this ideal was perfectly human: to sacrifice yourself for the sake of humanity at large; and if you were lucky, become a hero, beloved by the whole country.”
This is actually a really eerie and haunting book. You would be forgiven for thinking that this was some kind of send up, joke book along the ideas of what Kosmischer Laufer or “This Ain’t California” did for the former East Germany, but no just like Christopher Herwig’s series of books on Soviet bus stops, this is 100% for real.
Laika obviously remains the rock star of the space dogs, followed by Belka and Strelka. Clearly there hangs the serious issue of animal cruelty over this whole programme, though a fair point is raised as we learn about hyper-sensitive groups and the moral outrage in the west complaining about the maltreatment of animals, whilst at the same time these same nations were colonising millions of humans or in the case of the United States which was treating millions of its African-American population worse than animals through enforced segregation.
This is totally jam packed with images of ephemera in the shape of matchbox labels, postcards, stamps, books, confectionery tins and many other manifestations of toys and other souvenirs. And these are not just limited to the former USSR but from locations such as Guinea, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Japan, France, Italy and even the UK and the US.
We learn that the rhesus macaque programme followed on after the dogs, and surprisingly this went on all the way until 1997, when they spent 15 days from Dec 24th, 1996 to 7th Jan, 1997. So overall, this was a lovely presented book, and I certainly learned more about the Soviet space dogs than I ever thought possible!
November 27, 2024
This was an interesting read about well, Soviet space dogs! Turkina covers the history of the times in the 50s before humans were to go into space, the space race was already on between the USSR and America. To test for safety and how physical beings interacted with being in space for various lengths of time, the Russian scientists decided to send dogs to space, most notably, small, female (there was no space in the capsule to lift a leg to pee), and a stray (scrappy and resilient). I especially liked the part about Laika and the part about Belka and Strelka. On every page of this book, there are pictures of the dogs, the scientists, many collectables (stamps, tins, matchboxes, cigarettes, books, etc.), and anything else that was relevant to the text. While seeing all the pictures throughout was nice, the format of the text mixed with pages of images with paragraphs of descriptions, and also many footnotes, made it difficult/annoying to read. I would've preferred all the text in one section and then a section of images, but I get why it was done, but there was too much on each page. These dogs will be forever remembered for their contribution to science and history. 4/5
January 4, 2017
This book chronicles the crazy intersection of canine cuteness and Soviet ideology that defined the Soviet space program in the 1950s and 1960s.
But because I have studied The Eight-Year-Old pretty closely over these four years of blogging her every action on Caterpickles, I know that Laika’s true story will make her sad. My daughter will want Laika to survive her voyage and find a suitably happy home. Which is why I gave her a copy of Owen Davey’s alternative history book, Laika: Astronaut Dog, along with this one. In his book, Davey gives Laika the happy ending this brave, lonely dog deserves.
She can learn what really happened from Turkina, and imagine a better world with Davey. I suppose it's not really a surprise that my daughter prefers Davey's happy story.
Review originally posted on my blog Caterpickles.
But because I have studied The Eight-Year-Old pretty closely over these four years of blogging her every action on Caterpickles, I know that Laika’s true story will make her sad. My daughter will want Laika to survive her voyage and find a suitably happy home. Which is why I gave her a copy of Owen Davey’s alternative history book, Laika: Astronaut Dog, along with this one. In his book, Davey gives Laika the happy ending this brave, lonely dog deserves.
She can learn what really happened from Turkina, and imagine a better world with Davey. I suppose it's not really a surprise that my daughter prefers Davey's happy story.
Review originally posted on my blog Caterpickles.
July 21, 2020
I was extremely excited to read this book - USSR, the space race, doggies. It was the center of a Venn diagram of all of my interests. However, I felt the writing was confusing at times as many things were not told chronologically. Or when names (of humans) were mentioned, I found myself wondering who they were. It was only 100 pages later that it was clarified that that person was the blah blah scientist of the blah blah center. If the author did feel that needed to be stated, why wasn’t that stated 100 pages ago? It’s almost as if the chapters weren’t written in the order in which they appear in the book.
I rate books on this system
3 - enjoyed it. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to someone.
4 - really liked it. Would recommend it.
5 - one of my favorites. Everyone must read this.
I give it a three. Yeah it was okay. A bit disappointing for how excited I was for it.
I rate books on this system
3 - enjoyed it. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to someone.
4 - really liked it. Would recommend it.
5 - one of my favorites. Everyone must read this.
I give it a three. Yeah it was okay. A bit disappointing for how excited I was for it.
July 24, 2020
Divulgadora da ciência espacial na Rússia, Olesya Turkina faz um relato sobre o uso de cães - principalmente fêmeas - usadas na preparação da então União Soviética para enviar um ser humano ao espaço. A seleção das cadelas, seu duro treinamento e os bastidores do que ficou conhecido como o início da corrida espacial.
Em alguns momentos o texto trai um tom ufanista, mas também há espaço para a crítica com relação ao destino de alguns animais. Como Laika, transformada em celebridade involuntária por se tornar o primeiro ser vivo a se enviado ao espaço, em órbita do planeta.
O livro tem escolha dos tipos e diagramação ruins, mas uma profusão de ilustrações: fotos das cadelas cosmonautas, e muitos seles, cartões e até brinquedos inspirados nas heroínas de quatro patas. Ótima referência para uma pesquisa, como a que estou fazendo. Em inglês.
Em alguns momentos o texto trai um tom ufanista, mas também há espaço para a crítica com relação ao destino de alguns animais. Como Laika, transformada em celebridade involuntária por se tornar o primeiro ser vivo a se enviado ao espaço, em órbita do planeta.
O livro tem escolha dos tipos e diagramação ruins, mas uma profusão de ilustrações: fotos das cadelas cosmonautas, e muitos seles, cartões e até brinquedos inspirados nas heroínas de quatro patas. Ótima referência para uma pesquisa, como a que estou fazendo. Em inglês.
August 15, 2022
You've probably heard of Laika, the first dog in orbit, and maybe you've heard of Belka and Strelka, canine cosmonaut superstars of their time. There were dozens of dogs in the Soviet space programme, and their stories are told in this quirky and intriguing volume. Spoiler alert: they don't all have happy endings.
It reads pretty well, slightly hampered by the layout which allows only a few lines of text on each page. A lot of space is given over to photos and illustrations, showing the dogs, the propaganda, graphics, souvenirs, and ephemera surrounding the animals. These alone are fascinating and well worth seeing, but there are a lot of them.
Altogether it's a beautiful thing and something to treasure, as well as learn from.
It reads pretty well, slightly hampered by the layout which allows only a few lines of text on each page. A lot of space is given over to photos and illustrations, showing the dogs, the propaganda, graphics, souvenirs, and ephemera surrounding the animals. These alone are fascinating and well worth seeing, but there are a lot of them.
Altogether it's a beautiful thing and something to treasure, as well as learn from.
July 24, 2020
Fantastic read, I couldn't put it down.
I picked up this book to learn more about Laika, Belka, and Strelka. They may be household names, but I found that I knew very little about them beyond the roles they played in the space race. This book is so much more than that. It is a must read for anyone interested in animal welfare, the history of space exploration, or the culture of the USSR. It questions mankinds relationship with the other creatures we share this planet with. There are so many things going on in this book and I am so happy I took the time to pick it up and read it.
I picked up this book to learn more about Laika, Belka, and Strelka. They may be household names, but I found that I knew very little about them beyond the roles they played in the space race. This book is so much more than that. It is a must read for anyone interested in animal welfare, the history of space exploration, or the culture of the USSR. It questions mankinds relationship with the other creatures we share this planet with. There are so many things going on in this book and I am so happy I took the time to pick it up and read it.
November 2, 2021
I am utterly and completely fascinated by everything Soviet and Slavic - and this gives really good contacts to the first group of folks who were able to get living creatures into space. The prints are gorgeous and the text is engaging. As described, the Soviet rationale seems to be "let's just go there" because if we don't, bad things could happen politically - whereas American space desires seemed to be more about science at the time.
January 29, 2023
An informative book documenting the truth, or as much as we will ever know, about the USSR's space research and missions. I enjoyed the use of images showing how the dogs, and other species, were represented in the media and in everyday items like postcards and radio cards in the USSR and internationally. A good amount of history as well as documenting memorabilia. A generally nice book to own and flip through.
April 11, 2019
The book I never knew I needed in my life until I opened it up and started reading. The writing style does become a bit confusing at times (references moving between decades, etc.) but it’s an interesting read and the images are beautifully reproduced.
Out of context, all propaganda looks bizarre. It would be fun to see this side by side with US or British propaganda of the same era.
Out of context, all propaganda looks bizarre. It would be fun to see this side by side with US or British propaganda of the same era.
March 16, 2017
An interesting, and lavishly illustrated, book about the dogs who went to space before the first humans. Worth it just for the photos of everything from the dogs themselves to postage stamps and commemorative knickknacks.
May 7, 2019
Absolutely loved this book - great information, beautiful layout and what I appreciated most was the way that all of the ephemera really existed separate (but thematically related) to the text and told a story of its own
June 8, 2019
It’s a very interesting book explaining the early stages of the Soviet space program with a lot of emphasis on how they leveraged (sadly) animals in it. Easy to read with vast amount of illustration in the book - great pastime over the weekend.
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September 23, 2019Graphics and photos are so cute, but of course it made me so sad, too. I wish they had just sent humans from the get-go, as sentient beings who could give informed consent and understand what was happening and why. Ditto for the U.S. with the monkey in space.
January 29, 2020
文字部分略失望，三星。本以为会有更多太空犬和人类的故事(毕竟发射过57只汪，牺牲20)，结果还是Laika、Belka和Strelka为主，而且内容比较dry，集中在她们(太空犬都是母的)经历的历史事件、公共影响和批判当时的政宣上，看完后并没有感受到每只都有血有肉、活灵活现。Fedorov的哲学，苏联大力发展科学否认宗教和后来的火星红色乌托邦的历史往事有趣。图片超多加一星，热爱狗狗相关的vintage物件的读者一定会很满足。“The universe is full of the life of perfect creatures"---汪星人就是其中之一。
February 17, 2022
a beautifully illustrated and bittersweet account of the animals sacrificed for human scientific advancement, and the ideological and propagandistic narratives for which their voiceless bodies were used.
December 31, 2020
A loving historical homage to the dogs of the Soviet Space program. Also a great visual resource for people interested in either material culture or art references.
March 7, 2021
Informative, funny and in some parts heartbreaking. A quick little read. One star taken off for the fact that theres a picture on every page which made it difficult to read.
May 24, 2022
A beautiful, heavy little book full of interesting facts and pictures. Sad stories but good ones too.
February 14, 2023
Animal lovers beware, you can’t get to space without losing a few dogs apparently.
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