Japanese space tourist Yozo Hirano has his spacesuit tested during pre-launch preparations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spaceship, which will carry Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 07:38 GMT on December 8. Their return to Earth is expected on December 20.

08.12.2021#6714741

Bronze medalists Russia's Alexandra Trusova skates after the exhibition gala at at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, in Turin, Italy.

08.12.2019#6099620

Prize-winners in the pair's final competition of the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Nagoya at the awards ceremony, from left: Appolinariya Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov (Russia), silver medalists, Yekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor (Australia), gold medalists, Darya Pavlyuchenko and Denis Khodykin (Russia), bronze medalists.

08.12.2017#3252712

Russian First Deputy Minister of Defense, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov at the event marking the 185th anniversary of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

08.12.2017#3252577

Participants of the International Kremlin Cadet Ball at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow.

08.12.2016#2990587

Two-time synchronized swimming champion at the 2016 Summer Olympics Natalya Ishchenko during 2016 Olympic Champions Ball at Moscow's Manezh Central Exhibition Hall.

08.12.2016#2990432

Testing the FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) antropomorphic robot for the Spasatel rescue project, at a lab of Android Technics in Magnitogorsk.

08.12.2016#2989861

Ground scouts from a motorized-rifle infantry unit of the Central Military District cross the obstacle course at the Shilovo training center in the Novosibirsk Region.

08.12.2015#2753690

December 8, 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova, second left, during their meeting in the State Hermitage Museum.

08.12.2014#2540781

December 8, 2014. People's Artist of the USSR, actress of the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater Alisa Freindlich tries on a hat presented to her by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of her jubilee.

08.12.2014#2540612

The concert in celebration of composer Tikhon Khrennikov's 100th anniversary performed on the Historic Main Stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

08.12.2013#2334792

Russia's Alexei Stukalsky, left, in the European Curling Championships group stage match between the national teams of Russia and Denmark.

08.12.2012#1309591

A boy looks at a GT1 model turbine-electric locomotive, presented in the exhibition "Traveling exhibition and lecture Complex" JSC "RZD".

08.12.2011#1001489

December 8, 2011. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, second left, with his spouse Svetlana, right, and Czech President Václav Klaus, second right, with his spouse Livia, left, during a meeting.

08.12.2011#1001158

The construction of a tunnel under the Adler-Alpika-Service grade separation that will connect the Olympic park in the Imereti Valley and the Olympic facilities in the town of Krasnaya Polyana.

08.12.2010#820394

Send-off of 18000 volunteer-soldiers of Vietnamese People's Army within the framework of pull out of forces from People's Republic of Kampuchea.

08.12.1989#767998

Deputies in the conference hall. Joint meeting of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities. Second meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of eighth convocation. The Kremlin, Moscow.

08.12.1970#714787

Chilean president Salvador Allende visits the Moscow Stankoliniya plant.

08.12.1972#674075

"The Road to Dance" class-concert performed by the Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance in the Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

08.12.2009#525168

A student at a chess school at the Palace of Pioneers.

08.12.1984#523898

A boy dreaming of space at the Palace of Pioneers in Moscow.

08.12.1976#523545

Students of the Winter arts school at a Painting class, Veliky Ustyug.

08.12.2001#349194

Souvenir workshop (complex ornamenting). Step-by-Step Christmas decorations factory, Krestsy, Novgorod Region.

08.12.2007#175530

Father Leonid (Kalinin) blessing a memorial to General Sergei Markov, holder of St. George Order, who fought in the Civil War (died in 1918). Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Arts. Sculptor Vladimir Surovtsev.

08.12.2003#154064

The Checkhov Art Theatre's artistic director Oleg Tabakov, winner of the Faces-2005 prize in the Face of the Year nomination. Russian Song group head Nadezhda Babkina (right).

08.12.2005#121460

Tamer Margarita Nazarova with a tiger on the Neva river embankment.

08.12.1965#38065

U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers Chairman Nikolai Ryzhkov (center) at the Tengiz oil field during his visit to Kazakhstan.

08.12.1986#33112

Mikhail Gorbachev, center, addresses a leave-taking gala near the White House. Attending the ceremony are Ronald and Nancy Reagan, right, and Raisa Gorbacheva, left.

08.12.1987#30037

The U.S.S.R. Pilot-Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (left) with brother Vladimir (right).

08.12.1971#16475

Mother Teresa, prioress of the Missionaries of Charity and Nobel Peace Prize winner, visiting Armenia to help victims of the earthquake of 1988.

08.12.1988#7130