Not at all. Sputnik created the space race...which Russia eventually lost,
but you won't find a single yankee soul who knows who Tereshkova was.

The first true space passenger, and a woman besides.

As for the publicity that early Soviet launches recieved, I have two framed
newspapers over my desk - one is of Yuri's flight, the other is Carpenter's
first flight. Coverage on both events is remarkably similar, and comprise the
entire front page of the Houston newspapers. Folks in the US knew all about
Sputnik and Gagarin - those two flights were always discussed in the context of
the flashpoint for the space race. I have a pretty vivid memory of a talking
head explaining the difference between models of the Saturn V and Soviet launch
vehicles.

v/r
Gordon
PS, whoever assumed no one north of the Mason/Dixon would know who Tereshkova
was needs to remember that it was a space *race*, and Americans sure as heck
knew who else was in the race. As for painting all Americans with the
broad-brush term of "Yankee", well, that's just plain quaint.