Film's Description

The film narrates the life and the experiences of an outstanding scientist, Boris V. Rauschenbach (1915-2001). He was born in the German community that immigrated to Russia in the 18th century. He was arrested and deported to Siberia during World War II like the rest of the German community – for no reason other than his origins. Several years after the war, he was appointed to positions of great importance and responsibility in the so-called “Space-Race,” which characterized decades of the Cold War. For that reason, he can be considered one of the fathers of Yuri Gagarin’s first space flight, in 1961.

A long period of philosophy and life-lessons rooted in the writings of his favorite poet, Rilke, and in the discovery of the spiritual value of icons, opened unexpected horizons for him. These discoveries had an impact on his professional work, with unpredictable consequences for his scientific activities, such as the success of the docking of spaceships, an essential development for the conquest of space.

This film follows the exceptional professional and spiritual life of this amazing man, based on Boris Rauschenbach’s diaries and on the recollections of his friends and relatives.