Russia Marks 50th Anniversary Of First Woman In Space

Valentina Tereshkova completed 48 orbits of the Earth in June 1963.

Tereshkova with cosmonaut Yury Gagarin, the first man in space, at Lenin’s mausoleum in Red Square in 1963

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (center) with Tereshkova and cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky in 1963. Bykovsky holds the endurance record for a solo space flight. He spent five days in orbit.

Tereshkova and Yury Gagarin pose with various Soviet honors in 1963.

Tereshkova visits Prague on a victory tour following her flight in 1963.

A matchbox label from 1963 featured a portrait of Tereshkova.

Tereshkova with her daughter Elena in January 1971

Then-President Vladimir Putin meets with Tereshkova in March 2007.

Then-President Vladimir Putin honors Tereshkova with the Order for Service for the Fatherland in May 2007.

An election billboard for Tereshkova, who ran successfully for a seat in the State Duma with the ruling United Russia party in February 2008