gagarin then became deputy training director of the star city cosmonaut training base. at the same time, he began to re-join as a fighter pilot. on 27 march 1968, while on a routine training flight from chkalovsky air base, he and flight instructor vladimir seryogin died in a mig-15uti crash near the town of kirzhach. gagarin and seryogin were buried in the walls of the kremlin on red square.