The Science Museum’s delayed exhibition Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age is due to open in September, following the resolution of problems over Russian loans. The London show, originally scheduled for last November, had been billed as “the principal attraction of the UK-Russia Year of Culture”.
Last September The Art Newspaper reported that the exhibition had been postponed because of political tensions between the two countries. A Science Museum spokeswoman said at the time that this was because of “logistical challenges involved in borrowing 150 objects from 18 lenders”. In fact the difficulties were over Russian loans, because of questions raised by their government over the UK’s “immunity from seizure” arrangements.
The show is now proceeding, with nine key objects promised from three Russian lenders under “immunity from seizure” arrangements. Five of these loans are from Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, including the Vostok-6 descent module (used in 1963 by the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova). A museum statement says the exhibition will present “the greatest collection of Soviet spacecraft and artefacts ever shown outside Russia”.
Alexei Leonov, who made the first spacewalk 50 years ago, spoke at the London Science Museum’s announcement on 21 May. Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age runs from 18 September to 13 March 2016. It will be sponsored by BP, with support from two entrepreneurs, Andrey Filatov’s Art Russe and Len Blavatnik’s family foundation.
