Andrei Sakhorov- The Nobel Prize Winner

Now we know that A. D. Sakhorov was a famous scientist, "the father of the hydrogen bomb", a member of the Academy of Science that the Soviet Government granted him three award of Socialist Labor, the highest civilian award, and he struggled for the advancement of human rights.

Before the 1970's we didn't know about Sakharov. If he were only a scientist, we would have known about Sakhorov from his obituary, which the Soviet Government wrote about him. We knew about other big specialists such Chariton, Kakoin, Koroblev, etc. only from their obituaries.

After the American scientists, Sakhorov spoke out against nuclear tests and developing and using atomic weapons. When the American scientists spoke out against the atomic weapons, the Soviet Government welcomes that. But the American scientists were not threatened in America. Sakhorov did a heroic act. He also spoke out about the defense of human rights. He delivered secretly his manuscript "Progress, Coexistence and Intellectual Freedom" to foreign correspondent. It was printed in the west.

In Stalin's time that couldn't happen. Sakhorov would have been imprisoned or the KGB would have arranged for his accidental death.

In the 70's we could read in all newspapers and magazines very negative articles about Sakhorov. He was excluded from job. They tried to exclude him from the Academy of Science. In the Soviet Union the prestige of the Academy was very high. What is there to say about simple people? The Soviet Government deprived him of all awards.

If he were not so well known a person, the Government would have sent him secretly to a special mental hospital (owner that hospitals were KGB).
He was deported to the city Gorky which was closed to foreign correspondent. The entire West arose to his defense. He displayed personal fortitude in assertion of his human rights. (He went on hunger-strikes.) When Gorbachev came to rule was released from exile.

The Nobel Prize was a worthy award to Sakharov, as 'one of the great champions of human rights in our age."

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