Sakharov, Andrei
Sakharov, Andrei (1921-1989), a Soviet physicist, author, and Nobel laureate. His work on the principles of nuclear fusion was instrumental in developing the Soviet hydrogen bomb. He later became a political dissident and a protestor against nuclear weaponry.
Sakharov first gained international attention as a social activist with his essay Progress, Coexistence, and Intellectual Freedom (1968), discussing world problems such as the nuclear arms race, hunger, and the loss of individual freedom. He proposed political and humanitarian cooperation between the Soviet Union and the United States as the one hope for preventing universal destruction. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975 for his promotion of liberty.
From 1980 to 1986 Sakharov was internally exiled in the city of Gorkiy (Nizhniy Novgorod). After his release, he continued to be an outspoken critic of injustice and a defender of human rights.
Other writings include: Sakharov Speaks (1974), My Country and the World (1975), Alarm and Hope (1978), and Memoirs (1990).