Watch: 500 Drones Light Up The Sky In Russia To Mark Anniversary Of Yuri Gagarin's Space Flight

A total of 500 drones lit up the sky in the shape of a rocket launch in Russia's Veliky Novgorod on Monday (April 12) to mark the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight.

Gagarin became the first human in outer space on April 12, 1961, in one of the Soviet Union's most important Cold War victories and a pivotal moment in its space race with the United States.

The town's residents admired the swarm drone display illuminating the skies, with the devices lined up in synchronized light displays, forming a rocket, satellite and an orbital ship.

Gagarin's 108-minute orbit around the Earth, in his 'Vostok 1' rocket, propelled him to international fame and earned him the status of national hero in the Soviet Union, which erected statues and painted murals in his honor across its vast territory.