THE LIVES OF PERFECT CREATURES

Laika was the first Earth born creature to orbit the planet. She did so in Russia's Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. More than half a century ago. A new monument has been formed in Laika's memory in Moscow. Several other Soviet space dogs followed Laika's cosmic explorations in subsequent years. These dogs have been memorialized in paintings now on display at the Museum of Jurassic Technology.



You can read more about Soviet space dogs here and view a Flickr set of Laika images here. My first introduction to Laika was in the wonderful Swedish film My Life as a Dog. In the film, a boy gazes into the stars and imagines Laika's thoughts and emotions as she traveled into space, which becomes an apt metaphor for the feelings of loss, loneliness, and exploration of childhood.