What a shame happens on ISS

[dlazerka]

2013

2014

2014

There's also video from 2012:

They removed photos of Gagarin and Korolev.

I'm Russian (almost) myself, and it's such a shame.

Edited December 3, 2014 by dlazerka

[PakledHostage]

They removed photos of Gagarin and Korolev.

Well spotted! I wonder if the crews are allowed to bring up a few decorations for their time aboard? The amount of religious iconography that replaces Gargarin and Korolev is surprising if it is officially sanctioned.

[rodion]

Well spotted! I wonder if the crews are allowed to bring up a few decorations for their time aboard? The amount of religious iconography that replaces Gargarin and Korolev is surprising if it is officially sanctioned.

i don't have an official source for this but i think the general rule is that crew members have an allowance for personal affects so long as the items are manifested prior to launch. smuggling of undocumented items onto apollo 15 caused some PR grief at the time.

[Camacha]

The amount of religious iconography that replaces Gargarin and Korolev is surprising if it is officially sanctioned.

Why is it surprising? Faith can really interfere with operations, but if and when people are professionals it can also be a comforting thought. I assume ground control knows its cosmonauts well enough to exclude the former.

[Guest]

All the rockets Russians launch are blessed by priests, really.

And I heard, that blessing costs about 100,000 russian rubles.

That's about $2000, at least now, as RUR falling fast.

[bsalis]

No Glushko?

[KerbMav]

I am not Russian, but I would have something to say too - but it would be directed at replacing historic idols with religious icons and would ultimately lead into a thread lock.

So maybe I will just say: They simply redecorated after some years? Since when have the fotographs been hanging there?

[vexx32]

What? It's a shame that they decided to redecorate once in a while? It must get tiring looking at the same things every day. I wouldn't be surprised if they were switched out simply to add some colour to the fairly drab decor that pervades.

[Red Iron Crown]

Somehow I doubt the missing pictures got canned, probably just moved somewhere else.

(Why aren't we upset the Canadian flag is gone? As a Canadian I must protest! Sorry.)

[ZedNova]

Somehow I doubt the missing pictures got canned, probably just moved somewhere else.

(Why aren't we upset the Canadian flag is gone? As a Canadian I must protest! Sorry.)

Yeah and where's the US flag? This is unacceptable!

But seriously, i don't understand what the problem is. They have a religious faith and want some decoration to show it, it's not like they're "Claiming space in the name of God".

[Whirligig Girl]

What? They removed pictures of Gagarin and Korolev? No! Korolev was awesome! A true dreamer of spaceflight during a time when his superiors where forcing the nukes to be placed upon the launch vehicles. In another timeline Korolev and Von Braun would have likely been great friends.

[/American]

[PakledHostage]

Why is it surprising? Faith can really interfere with operations, but if and when people are professionals it can also be a comforting thought. I assume ground control knows its cosmonauts well enough to exclude the former.

What surprises me is that I thought I read somewhere that Russia is officially a secular country. People are certainly welcome to decorate their space as they see fit. But I am surprised to see so much religious influence in the decorations put up by people who are representing a supposedly secular country. That's all.

All the rockets Russians launch are blessed by priests, really.

Q.E.D.

[Guest]

Q.E.D.

[Jouni]

What surprises me is that I thought I read somewhere that Russia is officially a secular country. People are certainly welcome to decorate their space as they see fit. But I am surprised to see so much religious influence in the decorations put up by people who are representing a supposedly secular country. That's all.

Russia is a secular country, but the Orthodox Church is a Russian church. Without knowing the person, it's hard to say whether the religious symbols signify more about being a patriot than being particularly religious.

[sedativechunk]

What the others said here is right; most of that is just personal decorations. Crews constantly rotate on the ISS every 2-6 months. Most things like that are personal belongings people bring up. Where one person may have had a respect for Russian historical photographs, another might be a religious person who put all that up. Also, don't forget it is x-mas time and maybe they wanted some more "holy" pictures up there for the holidays? Either way, I wouldn't take it as offensive to your motherland.

[KerbMav]

Send them a tweet and ask?

[Guest]

No one tried to use twitter or other social network to ask cosmonauts themselves? I do not have any social network accounts, so I cannot.

[MartGonzo]

I find it interesting that the more a person relies on machinery to keep them alive the more superstitious they are.

Sailors, submariners, pilots are all very superstitious and it seems Astro / cosmonauts are too.

[Guest]

Adeptus mechanicus: The begining.

[WinkAllKerb'']

I especially like this perticular scenaristic metaphor in the same spirit that sum it up pretty well, definitely a key cult scene in the series:

Councillor Hamann:

Almost no one comes down here, unless, of course, there's a problem. That's how it is with people - nobody cares how it works as long as it works. I like it down here. I like to be reminded this city survives because of these machines. These machines are keeping us alive, while other machines are coming to kill us. Interesting, isn't it? Power to give life, and the power to end it.

Neo:

We have the same power.

Councillor Hamann:

I suppose we do, but down here sometimes I think about all those people still plugged into the Matrix and when I look at these machines, I.. I can't help thinking that in a way, we are plugged into them.

Neo:

But we control these machines, they don't control us.

Councillor Hamann:

Of course not, how could they? The idea's pure nonsense, but... it does make one wonder just... what is control?

Neo:

If we wanted, we could shut these machines down.

Councillor Hamann:

Of course... that's it. You hit it! That's control, isn't it? If we wanted, we could smash them to bits. Although if we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights, our heat, our air.

Neo:

So we need machines and they need us. Is that your point, Councillor?

Councillor Hamann:

No, no point. Old men like me don't bother with making points. There's no point.

Neo:

Is that why there are no young men on the Council?

Councillor Hamann:

Good point.

Neo:

Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Councillor?

Councillor Hamann:

There is so much in this world that I do not understand. See that machine? It has something to do with recycling our water supply. I have absolutely no idea how it works. But I do understand the reason for it to work. I have absolutely no idea how you are able to do some of the things you do, but I believe there's a reason for that as well. I only hope we understand that reason before it's too late.

Edited December 7, 2014 by WinkAllKerb''

[Ikaneko]

While I respect their beliefs and why they would like some religious pictures to pray to in such a dangerous place, I will say that they should at least have a reminder of the bravery of Gagarin and how he put his life in the hands of untested technology in the name of science and the pioneering work of him and Korolev, whose effort got these astronauts to where they are right now.

[ZedNova]

While I respect their beliefs and why they would like some religious pictures to pray to in such a dangerous place, I will say that they should at least have a reminder of the bravery of Gagarin and how he put his life in the hands of untested technology in the name of science and the pioneering work of him and Korolev, whose effort got these astronauts to where they are right now.

Like the other posts said, it most likely just got moved.

[dlazerka]

Hi guys, original poster here. After this topic got debated in runet, cosmonauts put back Gagarin and Korolev photos.

Flags reflect countries of astronauts currently aboard the ISS.

By the way, Korolev was Ukrainian, and some suspected that removal of his photo was somehow connected to current state of relations between Russia and Ukraine (I call it madness). Good to see that astronauts don't play those games.

2015

Edited April 19, 2015 by dlazerka

[rtxoff]

Looks like everything is back where it should be

[LordFerret]

While I respect their beliefs and why they would like some religious pictures to pray to in such a dangerous place, I will say that they should at least have a reminder of the bravery of Gagarin and how he put his life in the hands of untested technology in the name of science and the pioneering work of him and Korolev, whose effort got these astronauts to where they are right now.

With all due respect to Gagarin (because I hold him in high regard, even as an American)... but he is but one on a long list - albeit the first one.

Don't forget: it's called the "International Space Station".