The Soviet colonization of Venus began on June 11, 1985, with the landing of the first Soviet cosmonauts in what is modern day Gagaringrad. Since the 1990s, Soviet Union has established a permanent presence on planet Venus — all centered in eastern Aphrodite Terra. Following the signing of the Venus Treaty in 1999, the USSR relinquished total control over its settlements, paving the way for the independence of New Kamchatka in 2001 and Cukursia in 2008. Despite the independence of these areas, the USSR continues to hold onto several settlements on the planet (some of which are under joint control with other Earth nations), and is among the major powers on the planet.