On February 12, 1955, the first military...

However, there is still a lot of time left until 2050. Consequently, it is impossible to accurately predict Baikonur"s future in our rapidly changing world.

Moscow continues to gradually withdraw from Baikonur. The influx of Russian citizens dropped sharply after the troop pullout. Russians now account for 30-40% of the town"s 60,000 residents, and the share is declining steadily.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author"s and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik)