They were all heroes (and sometimes heroines), regardless of the ideology of the country that bred them.
In addition, Yuri Gagarin also seems to have been an extremely nice guy, with a good sense of humour - pretty much all accounts seem to agree on this.
Here's an excerpt from the transcript of communications between Gagarin and rocket designer Korolev on mission control, immediately before liftoff (
source, translation mine):
[Korolev] - Excellent, outstanding. Remember that after a minute of alert you'll have six minutes for all sorts of things. Over.
[Gagarin] - I am completely calm.
(a few exchanges with mission control)
[Korolev] - Understood. "Pine", this is "Zarya-1". We'll be talking to you now. I ask you, if you have the time, to switch on your shortwave system and talk. Count up to twenty. If you have the time and if you aren't occupied. Do you understand? Over.
[Gagarin] - "Zarya-1", this is "Pine". I understood you. I'll get down to the task now.
[Korolev] - What will you do?
[Gagarin] - I'll check the shortwave link.
(noises)
[Korolev] - There are some tubes in the box - lunch, dinner and breakfast.
[Gagarin] - I see.
[Korolev] - Understood?
[Gagarin] - Understood.
[Korolev] - There's sausage, dragees and jam to eat with the tea.
[Gagarin] - Ah.
[Korolev] - Understood?
[Gagarin] - Understood.
[Korolev] - 63 pieces all in all, you'll put on weight.
[Gagarin] - (laughs)
[Korolev] - As soon as you touch down, you can eat it all.
[Gagarin] - Fine with me as long as there's sausage to eat with the moonshine vodka.
(Everybody laughs)
[Korolev] - Damn, they're recording all this after all. (Laughs)