This silent movie, entitled “First Woman-Cosmonaut” is a short extract of a 1974 documentary about the first woman in space. It was sold for the home market in the former Soviet Union. The film was directed by Maria Goldovskaya, Yuri Letunov, Leonid Yerokhin and S. Tsvetkova, and tells the story of Valentina Tereshkova. Tereshkova was born and raised by a single mother and began her career as a worker in a textile factory, before becoming a female cosmonaut. She was one of the so-called “First Batch” of 5 women who were selected in the Vostok human space flight program.

She orbited the Earth 48 times starting on 16 June 1963 and spent almost three days in space, and remains the only woman in history to have been on a solo space mission. She is currently a member of the Russian State Duma.

00:25 Two women cosmonauts– Valentina Tereshkova and Valentina Ponomaryova, walk and sit on a bench in a birch grove

00:45 Card: “She used to work as a spinstress in Yaroslavl. Valentina Tereshkova”

00:54 Valentina threading an automated loom

1:09 Card: “In 1962, Tereshkova enrolled in the cosmonaut’s group”

1:18 Tereshkova walks along with other cosmonauts, including Leonov, Gagarin, Titov and others.

1:27 Studying celestial mechanics, physics, etc.

1:45 Card: “Yuri Gagarin introduced Valentina to spatial technologies”

1:54 Tereshkova along with a female engineer examining a transmitter module with a deployable antenna and a solar array.

2:03 Closeup of Yuri Gagarin explaining the array.

2:17 Vostok space capsule

2:21 Card: “At the Zvyozdny Gorodok Museum ”

2:26 Inside the Star City museum – Gagarin, showing Tereshkova around, on a stand covered with a red flag with “Gagarin” written on it in Japanese.

2:35 Gagarin, handling a commemorative City Key, pan to the souvenirs and awards commemorating Gagarin’s first space flight

3:01 Balance and gymnastics training on a round swing,

3:26 Centrifuge and high-altitude chamber training. Doctors and engineering personnel overseeing Tereshkova’s training

3:48 Timed training drills for reassembling/repairing a component in space.

4:03 Centrifuge training while dressed in a full space suit.

4:50 Andriyan Nikolaev showing Valentina Tereshkova how to control maneuvering thrusters with the joystick.

5:04 June 1963 Tereshkova in full spacesuit.

5:13 Card: ” Valentina’s call sign – Tchayka (Seagull) “

5:20 Settling into the Vostok’s cabin and strapping in. A navigational globe orbit recorder and display unit is shown.

5:50 Card: “Tereshkova flew with Valery Bykovski” (N.B.: She actually flew alone, piloting her own spaceship – the Vostok-6. Valery Bykovski was already orbiting in Vostok-5.)

5:55 TV feed from the Vostok capsule.

6:15 Mass gathering of people celebrating the space flight with

6:28 Card : “In 71 hours on the Vostok-6 ship, the Seagull flew over 2 million km.

6:38 Valentina Tereshkova sitting on the capsule’s detached door, covered with a parachute, after landing, and drinking a glass of water.

7:00 Celebration at Red Square in Moscow. Signs: “Glory to the first Soviet Woman!” “Hurray Valentina”

7:11 Greeting people from on top of the Lenin’s Mausoleum

7:29 Sergey Korolev awarding a medal

7:41 Card “At home, in Yaroslavl”

7:45 Another event, celebrating her spaceflight, at a stadium. Lenin’s portrait and other signs, placards, and red flags.

8:02 Card: The first “space” family

8:06 Footage of Tereshkova and Nikolaev’s wedding on the 3rd of November 1963, both are cosmonauts.

8:36 Card: ” Valentina Nikolayeva-Tereshkova graduated from the Air Force Engineering Academy “

8:48 Tereshkova’s thesis defense at the Academy, her family life and Nikoayev, and their daughter. A typical Soviet apartment.

10:31 Card: “The first woman-cosmonaut receives love and admiration from the entire world”

10:43 A visit to Prague, Czechoslovakia.

10:56 Tereshkova with Young Pioneers

11:05 Tereshkova at the United Nations with Yuri Gagarin.

11:45 Mexican singers.

11:50 Children giving the cosmonauts flowers.

12:20 Trying on sombrero hats etc

12:33 Government building possibly in Czechoslovakia.

12:37 Visiting Yugoslavia, people in traditional Albanian, Serbian clothing.

13:07 Card: Valentina Nikolaeva-Tereshkova, member of the Supreme Council of the USSR, Chairwoman of the Committee of the Soviet Women

13:25 Footage taken in the USSR Union assembly, the Supreme Council, and the Women’s Communist International14:07 Indian women delegates, Brazil delegates waving flags.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com