For decades, the story of the world's first space-faring nation has been underplayed in the West. Now, for the first time, the remarkable account of Russia's space programme will be brought to light. This book accompanies a landmark exhibition at the Science Museum, London, which represents a major collaboration with the Moscow State Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics and the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos. 'Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age' offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see objects that have never before left Russia, including rockets that launched the space age, actual craft that carried humans into space, the spacesuits, equipment and personal mementos of those who flew, alongside stunning artworks that articulated Russia's longing for space. But this is far more than simply a book of exceptional objects; it is also a book of incredible stories. These are the stories of the people who dreamt of early space exploration, those who made it happen, those who risked their lives to experience it and those who continue its legacy today.