“Vostok” in Kaluga is a backup rocket for Gagarin’s flight. In April 1961, it stood at the Baikonur launch site ready for flight in case of any emergency. The rocket never made it into space but it did fly around the world as an exhibit. It was showcased at Le Bourget Airshow in Paris, as well as in Rome, Turin, Bucharest, Budapest, Prague, and Montreal. After some time, the Vostok launch vehicle settled in Kaluga and became one the main symbols of the city, which is tacitly considered the space cradle of Russia.

Standing on high ground, the rocket is a significant architectural landmark that can be seen virtually from any point in the city. The lighting task was to highlight the object with static light in neutral tones for weekdays; while on holidays, the colour-dynamic lighting is turned on, and a Russian tricolor is provided for major public holidays.

For the uniform flood lighting of the Vostok rocket, 12 pieces of IntiSTARK RGBW luminaires were mounted on four special poles of the Kamerton type*. In the project, we encountered asymmetrically located supports along the perimeter of the rocket, combined with elevation changes, which made it difficult to aim the equipment. Due to precisely matched optics and adjustment of the fittings, we achieved a uniform lighting effect without any excessively illuminated zones or undesired artefacts. The rocket has become a new art object in Kaluga, and even when the whole city is plunged into darkness, the Vostok remains a bright guiding star to the Museum of the History of Cosmonautics.

The luminaires are controlled via the DMX-512 protocol using a controller that allows you to create an unlimited number of lighting scenarios.