Yuri Gagarin in South Jakarta

One of the genuine perks of living in Jakarta (especially compared to many other cities in Indonesia) is the surprising number of public open spaces we have access to, particularly in the South.

This Sunday, I decided to take a walk around the Kebayoran Baru area. It’s a fascinating neighborhood that blends the hustle of the ASEAN headquarters with the quiet dignity of Jakarta’s elite housing; the private residence of the current President is nearby, as are the homes of several ambassadors.

I ended up at Taman Mataram. I’ve known about this park for years. This park sits just across from Taman Pattimura, but it was renovated a while ago, and I hadn't visited since the makeover.

As I was exploring, something caught my eye. Standing tall amidst the tropical greenery was a statue of Yuri Gagarin.

My first thought was, how does a Soviet cosmonaut relate to a park in South Jakarta? It seemed like such a random encounter in the middle of Kebayoran. However, the plaque on the monument cleared up the mystery immediately.
The statue was actually a gift from the Russian government to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Russia, as well as the "Sister City" bond between Jakarta and Moscow formed in 2006.

The inscription notes that the statue is placed here to align with the park's vision of social interaction. More importantly, it hopes to "inspire the younger generation of Indonesia... to realize their aspirations of becoming pioneers on the international stage."

Standing 282 cm tall and weighing 500 kg, this bronze figure by A.D. Leonov is a striking addition to the neighborhood. If you're ever near the ASEAN MRT station or taking a morning jog in Kebayoran Baru, it’s definitely worth a detour to say privyet (hello).