Russia’s only female cosmonaut is made into a Barbie doll

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Anna Kikina, Russia’s only female cosmonaut, will become a Barbie doll — 60 years after the first man flew into space.

A special doll modelled on her will feature in Mattel’s “You Can Be Whoever You Want” campaign, and will be unveiled on the eve of the anniversary of the first flight into space. 

Ms Kikina, 36, is Russia’s only active female cosmonaut and is set to become the fourth Russian woman to fly to space. 

The mission, which will see cosmonauts fly to the International Space Station, is set to go ahead in 2022, a decade after Ms Kikina was first admitted to the cosmonaut corps.

The not-for-sale doll will be produced exclusively in the image of Anna Kikina in two versions of costumes: a training suit and an Orlan-type space suit.

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Ms Kikina said: “I didn’t dream of becoming a cosmonaut as a child. But if I had an astronaut Barbie doll, then the idea of becoming one would have for sure been born in my head back then.

“Not every girl playing with a Barbie doll has to want to become an astronaut. The most important thing is that they all know that they have a choice.”

The first Miss Astronaut Barbie doll was produced in 1965, two years after cosmonaut and current Russian lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.

Barbie dolls have featured many careers over the years, including a doctor, a pilot and a presidential candidate. 

Last Summer, Barbie launched a new 2020 “Campaign Team” set, featuring a black Barbie doll as a presidential candidate.

The set, which features four women dolls, each with their own role in the campaign, was meant to pique the interest of young girls in shaping the future. 

Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls at Matte, said of the dolls: “Since 1959, Barbie has championed girls and encouraged them to be leaders whether in the classroom, community or someday, of the country.”

”With less than a third of elected leaders in the US being women, and black women being even less represented in these positions, we designed the Barbie Campaign Team with a diverse set of dolls to show all girls they can raise their voices.”