In Baikonur, nearly everything revolves around space. From monuments and the names of establishments to residential buildings adorned with images of the most iconic launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, reminders of the city’s cosmic purpose are inescapable. The city’s compact size allows visitors to explore its main attractions in just a few hours.
The city’s emblematic symbol is the Soyuz-U, the most frequently launched rocket (nearly 800 launches), displayed along the road near a statue of Yuri Gagarin. The rocket rests horizontally because the powerful Kazakh winds could have toppled it if placed upright, as originally intended. This layout offers an intricate view of its design details. Initially, this model was used for tests and training at the cosmodrome, but in 1981, it was installed in Baikonur to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first human spaceflight.
Baikonur also boasts another remarkable rocket monument: a tribute to one of the USSR’s leading rocket designers, Mikhail Yangel. This monument includes a bust of Yangel alongside a model of his intercontinental ballistic missile, the 15A15 (known internationally as SS-17), which remained in service until 1994.
One of the first landmarks visitors encounter when entering Baikonur is the grand monument to Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut to reach space. His outstretched arms seem to greet the sky, a sight every visitor to Baikonur admires. At sunset, the sun seems to rest in Gagarin’s hands, creating a scene of epic beauty.
The Gorodskaya station served as a central hub where workers once boarded transport to various cosmodrome sites. For around twenty years, buses have since replaced this transport service. Nearby, an old “E” series locomotive, which once carried workers between the city and the cosmodrome, stands as a relic of that era. A monument to Lenin also stands here, accompanied by a stele inscribed with “Science and Space.”
A monument dedicated to the Li-2 aircraft—veteran and workhorse of the cosmodrome—is another nod to Baikonur’s legacy. This aircraft was the primary transporter for the Ministry of Defense in the 1950s-1960s, a time of critical construction and development for Baikonur.
One of the city’s most somber memorials recalls the Nedelin Catastrophe, associated with Yangel’s legacy. On October 24, 1960, during a rushed test of the R-16 missile, a workflow disorder led to the premature ignition of the second-stage engine. This caused an explosion of the first-stage fuel tanks, immediately killing everyone within a 50-meter radius, including Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin. Yangel narrowly escaped by stepping out for a cigarette just minutes before the disaster. Later, it was Yangel who had to report the tragedy to the authorities and shoulder its impact. In total, 78 lives were lost. A memorial to these victims now stands in Baikonur.
As you explore Baikonur, you’ll encounter statues and tributes to many of the minds behind Soviet space exploration, such as Korolev, Nedelin, Ryazansky, and Pilyugin. Baikonur sights are the real gems of the city and a memory to all those who gave their lives for the space exploration.