The Manitoba Museum is cancelling this year’s Yuri’s Night presentation owing to concerns about the event’s thematic association with Russia in light of the country’s war with Ukraine.

Held every April 12, the international celebration promotes space exploration by recognizing humanity’s first space flight on the same date in 1961. It’s named after Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet pilot who journeyed alone into outer space in a Vostok space capsule and completed one orbit of the Earth in under two hours.

Manitoba Museum’s event, held at the Planetarium, was to feature a dance party, a pop-up bar, contests and science activities.

The museum explained their decision to cancel the event, and refund ticket holders, on social media.