Laika

A true story

“The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it.” — Oleg Gazenko, researcher in the Laika project.

Moscow is a melancholy city. It’s important here not to confuse noise with cheer. Beyond the smell of sawdust are the cafes where loud music blends with discussions about politics and money, people scraping plates with bent spoons and chewing on the ends of stale bread. The weather is cold; spiteful winds blow in from the surrounding snowy fields. There is the smell of metal in the air and it perfumes the crowded streets where women are buttoned…