Kazakhstan and Baykonur, the launching site
In the spring of 1957, at a secret location on the unending steppes of Kazakhstan the Soviet team prepared to test the rocket that would be the cornerstone of their nation's defense and the means to first conquer space. It took some time for the West to learn where this and subsequent Soviet launches were originating from.

Kiev, Ukraine
The announcement of the first Soviet space rocket launch came late, only after unexpectedly vivid reactions from the West. Nikita Khrushchev was on an official visit in the Ukraine, close to where almost forty years later the Chernobyl disaster happened. In Kiev, capital city of the now independent Ukraine, he announced publicly for the first time that the Soviet Union had made major strides in the space race.