Putin congratulates first woman in space on anniversary of her flight

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Valentina Tereshkova, a former Soviet cosmonaut who became the first woman ever to go to space.

As Putin met Tereshkova on the 60th anniversary of her flight, he awarded her with the newly established Gagarin order "for outstanding services in the exploration of outer space" and "active public and international activities," according to a Kremlin statement. Tereshkova has been a member of the State Duma for the ruling United Russia party since 2016.