Did the USSR illuminate the landing on the moon? View from the back of the Earth

On February 6, 2018, SpaceX launched its super-heavy Falcon Heavy rocket into space. Millions of people watched live test rocket via the Internet. For the first time in the history of astronautics, two of the three stages of a super-heavy rocket returned home simultaneously. The personal car Ilona Mask - Tesla Roadster was used as a load, which caused an uproar in some Russian media. Which instead of congratulations on a successful launch and focusing on the technical side of the issue, the TV viewers turned their attention to an allegedly expensive advertising company for American taxpayers. They also threatened the world with convicts and rocket launchers made of snow. Seriously putting these two events in one row. A stupid, inept, and, in general, pathetic attempt to belittle the successes of the American company against the background of Russian space failures.

Looking at all this, the thought was spinning in my head - “Everything is like in the USSR, who did not bother to show the launch of Apollo 11 to the Moon, and gave some pathetic small replies somewhere on the outskirts of Soviet newspapers”. But was it really?

The search for materials is not something that would not give results. They are. For example, here is this wonderful article . However, this is not enough. I wanted to find all these newspapers or maybe even more to prepare my own material on this topic. No matter how hard I tried, I had to admit that I had very little left: a few low-resolution scans cut from incomprehensible newspapers. It was possible to find out that there are scans of all the issues of the newspaper Pravda and Izvestia, but, unfortunately, access to them without violation of rights is possible only upon request through the libraries. 21 century.

Then I decided to go from the other end, and see what is in American sources about the Soviet Union’s coverage of the launch of Apollo 11. In my opinion, this is even more interesting!

At first glance, the idea that the USSR did not advertise the landing of Americans on the moon was confirmed. For example, here is a fragment of a 2009 publication on the site of the Smithsonian National Museum of Aviation and Cosmonautics:

The radio broadcasts were followed carefully. We’ve seen a lot of peace.

Although the Soviet Union tried to silence the broadcasts of Voice of America, most residents here and in other countries found out about this adventure and followed it closely. In police reports, it was noted that the streets of many cities became ominously quiet during a walk on the moon, because residents watched TV from homes, bars or other places.

Despite the fact that the USSR is mentioned in this paragraph, you can see a discrepancy - the inhabitants of the USSR could not watch TV in any way at home, let alone in bars - it simply was not broadcast live, and the broadcast time in Moscow was 6 am while the broadcast started at 8 o'clock. It was possible only to listen to the Voice of America in the border regions.

And here is the material from July 16, 2009 in Scientific American: "The Soviet look at the landing on the moon: an interview with Sergei Khrushchev, the son of the former secretary general Nikita Khrushchev." I will not give a complete translation of the article; I will confine myself to only one question that actually interested me:

Q: How much was it?
A: Of course, you can’t say nothing. It was published in all the newspapers. But if you remember, you’re not talking to “Yuri Gagarin]. The same feeling was prevalent in Russia. There were small articles when Apollo 11 was launched. Actually, there were three pages on page five. I looked it up again.

Q: How widely was the news about the landing on the moon on the eve of these events spread in the Soviet Union?
A: Of course, when people land on the moon it’s impossible to simply not report anything. All newspapers wrote about this. But as you remember, when Americans talk about the first man in space, they always talk about "the first American in space" [not about Yuri Gagarin]. Approximately the same sentiment prevailed in Russia. There were small articles when Apollo 11 was launched. Strangely enough, there was a small article on the Pravda editorial, and then three columns on page five. I checked.

Still, the publications were! In the most important and most important newspaper of the USSR on the front page, and then also on the fifth page. Apparently, it was the transcript of the broadcast.
And now we are getting to the most interesting. NASA archives. Here is a curious 1970 document containing the entire chronicle of the events related to space in 1969. “It's just some kind of holiday!”
My interesting publications begin with 195 pages:

July 1
It was an invitation from the United States International Council for International Minorities for the United States. (W Post, 7/1/69, A15; AP, W Star, 7/1/69, A4)

Apollo 8 astronaut Frank Borman and his family flew from New York on a nine-day USSR tour. The Institute of Soviet-American Relations in Moscow sent an invitation through the Soviet Embassy in Washington. The route included Moscow, Leningrad, Novosibirsk and the Crimea.

Strictly speaking, this is far from being published in the Soviet media. But this information speaks of connections between countries and people. The American astronaut visited the USSR before the launch of Apollo 11, held a series of meetings and negotiations, spoke, as they would say, the ambassador of peace. These events could not advertise:

July 2
Frank Borman said he hoped US. and Soviet spacemen in mid-1970s. (Reuters, W Post, 7/4/69, A3)

At the Leningrad press conference during a tour of the USSR, astronaut Frank Borman expressed the hope that American and Soviet cosmonauts would be able to fly in joint missions in the 1970s.

There was a press conference! Unfortunately, not a word about the Soviet press, but it certainly was, otherwise what's the point? Wikipedia reports that the last launch announcement of Apollo 11 was made on July 9, i.e. exactly when Frank Borman left the USSR.

July 12
NASA said Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin had rejected US. invitation to watch Apollo 11 launch. Dobrynin was originally out of the country. (AP, W Stur, 7/13/69, A9)

NASA reported that the Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin refused an invitation to observe the launch of Apollo 11. Initially, the USSR agreed, but the Soviet embassy in Washington said that Dobrynin would not be in the country.

Disturbing bell. The USSR turned on the back and pretends that nothing Interesting happens?

The launch day has come! In addition to the reports on the publications of the Soviet press, I will also provide data on the Warsaw Pact countries - this is no less interesting - how-to-how allies.

July 16
Apollo 11 radio broadcasting of the USSR radio broadcasting on the 11th day of silence on Luna XV. Major Soviet news program at 8:30 pm Liftoff comsat coverage.

Radio and Television of the USSR gave a substantive report on the launch of Apollo 11, however, they keep silent about the Moon for three days 15. The main Soviet news program at 20:30 Moscow time showed the Apollo 11 launch tape, received from a live broadcast.

Albeit not live, but the USSR TV paid enough attention to this news. We also learn that, on July 13, the USSR launched the station Luna-15 to the Moon, about which the Soviet media did not consider it necessary to inform its citizens. Unfortunately on July 21, the station was lost during landing.

Polish TV viewers saw launch via 45-min transmission directly from Cape Kennedy.

Polish viewers watched the launch during a live 45-minute broadcast from Cape Kennedy.

July 17
Istorius 11 astronauts. Factual account of mission carried no comment (W Post, 7/19/69, A10)

Izvestia was the first in the USSR to present a report on July 17 by President Nixon, stating that the medals of the two dead Soviet cosmonauts would be installed on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts. The substantive report on the mission objectives was left without comment.

July 20-21
It was a decisive factor for the Soviet Premier Alexy Kosygin to comment on the situation. Soviet TV didn’t carry live coverage of Apollo 11 lunar landing July 20; It was a scrapping of the page. Evening paper, Izvestiya, accorded story of astronauts on the moon. On TV, Cosmonaut Konstantin P. Feoktistov, described as “major landmark” and said crewed “brilliantly” with mission. Georgy Petrov, a director of the Soviet Institute for Cosmis Research, called “an outstanding achievement”.

Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin congratulated the United States on the moon landing and expressed interest in expanding US-Soviet space cooperation on July 21, a discussion with former Vice President Hubert Humphrey who was completing the visit to the Soviet Union. On July 20, Soviet television did not broadcast the Apollo 11 landing on the moon live. The TASS statement was read by the moderator and published in an article in two paragraphs on the front page of the Pravda newspaper. The evening edition of "Izvestia" diverted the plot more volume and demonstrated a photograph of astronauts on the moon. On television, cosmonaut Konstantin Feoktistov described the landing with the words “The Greatest Milestone” and stressed that the crew had “brilliantly” coped with the task. Georgy Petrov, director of the Soviet Space Research Institute, called Apollo 11 "an outstanding achievement," but also said that more data for a ruble could be obtained using unmanned probes.

At this time in the countries of soc. camps:

Statue dedicated to Apollo 11 astronauts was unveiled July 21 in sports stadium at Cracow, Poland.

In Poland, on July 21, a statue of the Apollo 11 astronauts was presented at the stadium in Krakow.

Five thousand Hungarians walked through American Embassy in Budapest July 21, picking up USIA pamphlet Man on the Moon.

Five thousand Hungarians who passed through the American Embassy in Budapest on July 21 took a brochure from the USIA (“American Information Agency. - my comment) -“ Man on the Moon ”.

In Romania, bouquets were tossed through US. TV coverage of Apollo 11.

In Romania, the bouquets were thrown over the fence of the US embassy to the foot of the flagpole, several Romanians reported a large number of Bulgarians who crossed the border to watch a TV broadcast of Apollo 11 on the air.

July 23
In Pravda Soviet academician, Prof. He said, “He didn’t need to be taken care of it.” It’s not a problem. ”“ Human feelings and observation, ” “It’s not possible to completely accept automatic stations.” It’s not worth it. ”(Reuters, W Post, 7 / 24/69, A15)

In the newspaper Pravda, a Soviet academician, Professor Leonid Ivanovich Sedov, noted that space research is developing in a variety of areas, the implementation of future projects will require huge material costs, the concentration of creative activity of an "incalculable number of highly skilled workers and specialists". He stated: “no state is able to practically implement all technically possible projects worthy of attention”. Although scientists said that unmanned spacecraft are not always able to replace manned vehicles, "the flights of automatic stations were ahead and will be ahead of manned flights." Human feelings and observation, "especially when something happens suddenly and unpredictably, cannot be completely replaced by automatic stations." But unmanned probes will remain pioneers because they are "cheaper, simpler and less dangerous for research."

Czechoslovakian Communist Party Central Committee weekly meeting: “It’s not a premature report. Surely its influence will be no less than that of Columbus' travels many centuries ago. ”(Am Embassy, ​​Prague)

The weekly report of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party “Tribuna” announced the landing of Apollo 11: “It would be premature today to assess the significance of this event. Of course, his influence will be no less than the journey of Columbus many centuries ago. ”

July 24
Safe landing of the Apollo 11 in Pacific made “splash applauded around the world,” New York Times said. In the USSR, the TV station hooked up to the hornet. Later, it was announced that the Soviet President of Mistislav V. Mistislav V. Keldysh called voyage “a big contribution to space exploration and further progress of world science.” 11 crew: “We have closely followed your flight. We wish you a wholeheartedly congratulate you on your journey and return to earth. ”

The successful landing of the Apollo 11 in the Pacific Ocean “provoked applause all over the world,” the New York Times reported. In the USSR, for the first time during the entire mission, TV viewers watched the delivery of astronauts to the Hornet aircraft carrier after connecting Moscow to the East European Intervision Network. Later, the channel devoted two thirds of the final Apollo 11 news and reported that the Soviet president (Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet — my comment) Nikolai Viktorovich Podgorny sent a telegram to President Nixon with “congratulations and best wishes to the space pilots”. The President of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh, called the flight "a great contribution to the exploration of space and the further progress of world science." The astronauts sent a message to the Apollo 11 crew: “We ... closely followed your flight. With all my heart, we congratulate you on the completion of your wonderful journey to the Moon and the safe return to Earth. ”

And in May 1970, Neil Armstrong visited the USSR.

It is not difficult to notice that the most cited newspapers are Pravda and Izvestia — the largest publications of the USSR at one time. Both newspapers paid attention to the news about the launch, landing on the moon and the return of Apollo 11. But this, although the largest, but not the only, printed Soviet media, I am sure that there were a lot of scientific publications in journals, however, this is obviously not so popularly. Television, although it did not broadcast live, nevertheless broadcast information and a picture in the news broadcasts. In any case, we see either dry reports or quite good-natured congratulations and wishes in the media. No one fell to the ridiculous insults and belittling the significance of this event. I understand that it is not correct to compare the landing on the moon with the launch of Tesla into the orbit of Ceres, but this is not about comparing the scale of these events, but about simple ethics and respect for the merits of colleagues from other countries. Are the works of SpaceX engineers worthy of mention only in the context of launching an unprofitable car into an unplanned orbit?

UPD.: Friends, thank you very much for finding, sharing and quoting! So many interesting things in the comments!