First man in space Yuri Gagarin gets London statue

LONDON – A statue of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin has been erected in London to mark the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight.

Gagarin's daughter, Elena Gagarina, unveiled the statue outside the London offices of cultural organization the British Council.

The statue by Russian sculptor Anatoly Novikov is a gift from the Russian Space Agency and will stand for a year, opposite a monument to explorer Capt. James Cook, the first person to circumnavigate the globe.

Gagarin orbited the Earth for 108 minutes on April 12, 1961 aboard the Vostok 1 space capsule.

Gagarin visited Britain after his feat, where he met Queen Elizabeth II exactly 50 years ago Thursday. Gagarina said her father had been "greatly impressed" with the reception he received in Britain.