German artist and cosmonaut Andreas Hoge has unique tastes in Soviet space memorabilia. His collection ranges from cosmonaut-themed penholders to space cigarettes to one of the rare "dog space suits" still in existence today.
On September 13th, members of the public will have the opportunity to take home pieces from Hoge's ensemble of artifacts. Some of the more memorable items on sale include a 1961 French cognac bottle that was consumed and signed by the first man in space and an autographed fragment from the space ship Vostok 1. The canine suit, however, is arguably the highlight of the event. Holding an estimated value of €8,000 (about $10,513), it is described as one of the few of its kind to have survived to the present day, and was reportedly used in the training of Belka and Strelka during the Sputnik 5 mission.
Asides from canine uniforms and alcoholic containers, the auction also features Hoge's own artistic creations, documents from the Soviet Space Program, a SOKOL KV2-model space suit, and a tube of coffee and milk. Berlin-based Auctionata is handling the event, which is also the company's first space artifact auction.
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