Roscosmos cosmonauts present St Petersburg University with the flag that was on board the International Space Station

I am very happy to be here today. It is a truly iconic place, and I am pleased that we are part of the history of the University. I wish you to move forward.

Alexander Grebenkin, a test cosmonaut

For more than three centuries, St Petersburg University has made a major contribution to the development of the Russia’s space industry. Among the University’s staff and graduates are Valentin Glushko, the designer of space engines that launched the first Earth satellite into orbit, and Ninel Rogova, a physicist who was part of the team of developers who carried out the first soft landing of a descent vehicle and a Mars rover from the interplanetary station Mars-3. Among the outstanding graduates are also famous astronomers Vsevolod Sharonov and Nadezhda Sytinskaya, who formulated a theory of the structure of the outer cover of the Moon, which was later confirmed during the landing on the surface of the Earth’s satellite.

The University’s linguists also made their contribution to the exploration of outer space by developing special tables of sounds and sound sequences to test speech intelligibility for the microphone into which Yuri Gagarin later uttered the well-known "Off we go!" when he first went into space.

The buildings of the University are closely connected with outer space exploration, said Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University. Between the two University buildings, the first radiogram "Heinrich Hertz" was transmitted by the outstanding scientist Aleksandr Popov. Today, his invention is a reliable means of communication in outer space. Radio communication is used for communication between satellites, spacecraft and ground stations over vast distances.

Cooperation with the state corporation Roscosmos is an important milestone in the celebration of the anniversary of St Petersburg University. The University received a video greeting from the International Space Station, and the rocket with the symbols of St Petersburg University was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

"The path that the University flag has travelled from the Roscosmos headquarters to the International Space Stations on height more than 400 kilometres and then back on Earth, i.e. to St Petersburg​ University, is evidence of limitless possibilities of science and education. This is a symbol reflecting the prospects that are opening up today for everyone who strives for knowledge and is ready to conquer new heights," emphasised Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University.

Scientists from St Petersburg University were the first in the world to conduct research on bacterial biofilms in space, and are now studying the impact of space flights on the body of astronauts, modelling the processes responsible for space explosions. Today, the Mineralogical Museum at St Petersburg University presents a rich collection of meteorites, numbering more than 75 valuable samples that are recognised as valuable worldwide.

The ceremony was followed by a discussion between the cosmonauts and the University staff and students. It was moderated by Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University. The cosmonauts talked about life on the International Space Station, scientific work, spacewalks, and their experience of being in zero gravity.

The University staff and students asked about what experiments were carried out by the participants of the ISS Expeditions 71 as part of the scientific programme; whether it was difficult to adapt to technologies developed in others countries; whether there is research to develop active methods for shielding spacecraft from radiation; how pre-flight psychological preparation is carried out; whether robotic systems can be used for work in orbit and in what ways they cannot replace humans. The meeting participants also asked about what traditions cosmonauts observe on the International Space Station, whether they are allowed to take books with them and what songs they listen to before the flight.