Soviet Nuclear Scientist, Dissident and Human Rights Activist

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Soviet Nuclear Scientist, Dissident and Human Rights Activist

Dr. Andrei Sakharov was a leading developer of Soviet nuclear weapons. As he progressed through life he began working towards international peace and basic human freedoms for the people of the Soviet Union. In recognition of this work, Dr. Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Dr. Sakharov’s contributions to the Soviet weapons program and his public communications of the dangers of nuclear weapons helped to prevent nuclear war between the US and Soviet super powers.

Andrei Sakharov was born in Moscow on May twenty-first, 1921 to a well-educated Russian family. His father was a physics teacher and Andrei was home schooled until the equivalent of the seventh grade. “Sakharov studied physics at Moscow University during 1939–1942 and at the Lebedev Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences during 1945–1947 under the eminent theoretical physicist Igor Tamm” (DeHart, Andrei Sakharov). He received his Ph.D. in 1947 for work on particle physics.

“Sakharov was invited to join the Soviet atomic bomb project in 1946, and again in 1947, but he declined because he did not want to part from fundamental science and from Tamm, his beloved mentor” (Gorelik, From Graduate Studies to Bomb Design). Tamm and several of his students were pulled into the program and Sakharov soon followed. The team’s objective was to develop an H-bomb to compete with the United States nuclear weapons. The Soviets focused much of their attention on a tubular “Truba” bomb design influenced by intelligence taken from the US nuclear weapons program.

“Sakharov soon came to realize that the Truba design lacked promise. He suggested a radically new scheme which was named Sloyka… ” (Gorelik, From Gra...

... middle of paper ...

... defy his own country trying to correct his mistakes for the betterment of humanity is what makes Andrei Sakharov one of the worst nationalists, but a selfless humanitarian.

Works Cited

DeHart, Bruce J. "Andrei Sakharov." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO,

2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.

Gorelik, Gennady. "Andrei Sakharov: Soviet Physics, Nuclear Weapons and Human

Rights." Ed. Spencer R. Weart and Alexei B. Kojevnikov. Andrei Sakharov:

Soviet Physics, Nuclear Weapons and Human Rights. Ed. Greg Good. American

Institute of Physics and Gennady Gorelik, 1998. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.

Reagan, Ronald. "Proclamation 5063." Andrei Sakharov Day. 18 May. 1983. 21 Jan. 2014.

"Sakharov, Andrei D(mitriyevich)."FactCite: Lincoln Library Biographies Online. Lincoln Lib. P,

2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.

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