The Dissident Movement in the Soviet Union took place in the 1960s and 1970s and was created by opposition of the citizens to Soviet government policies. Although participation wasn’t quantitatively huge, the protests made by a few leaders made great impacts for human rights and peace.
(Andrei Sakharov speaking for human rights and against the nuclear bomb in Russia; Source: Russiapedia.)
One of the major human rights leaders to emerge from this time period and movement was Andrei Sakharov. Sakharov began his work in the Soviet Union as a nuclear physicist and would later be know as the “father of the hydrogen bomb.” However this profession led him towards the Dissident Movement and becoming an activist. He began to see the harmful sides of his work in nuclear physics and began to question the effects of these bombs.
“When you see all of this yourself, something in you changes. When you see the burned birds who are withering on the scorched steppe, when you see how the shock wave blows away buildings like houses of cards… How not to start thinking of one’s responsibility at this point?”
From there on out he advocated for human rights, expressed his discontent with the arms race, and challenged Moscowand the Soviet nuclear program through his books, protests, and speeches. Consequently, he was fired from his job and the faced major consequences from his country and was exiled. However, his actions and faith in human rights led him to win two huge honors; the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975 (which his wife had to accept for him because he wasn’t allowed to leave the USSR) and the International Humanist Award in 1988.
“I’ve always thought that the most powerful weapon in the world was the bomb and that’s why I gave it to my people, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the most powerful weapon in the world is not the bomb but it’s the truth.”
(Andrei Sakharov on the Cover go Time Magazine in 1972 for his opposition to the nuclear bomb; Source: Time Magazine)
Today, there is a museum dedicated to Sakharov in Nizhny Novgorod (where Sakharov was exiled) that shows a history of human rights issues through out Soviet and Russian history.
Works Cited
“Andrei Sakharov, (1921 – 1989).” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/peopleevents/pandeAMEX67.html>.
Bird, Maryann. “Physics and Freedom.” Time. Time Inc., 09 June 2002. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,260661,00.html>.
“The Dissident Movement.” The Dissident Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://sites.google.com/site/thedissidentmovementsputniks/>.
“Nuclear Files: Library: Biographies: Andrei Sakharov.” Nuclear Files: Library: Biographies: Andrei Sakharov. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/biographies/bio_sakharov-andrei_print.html>.
“Prominent Russians: Andrey Sakharov.” Andrey Sakharov – Russiapedia Politics and Society Prominent Russians. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/politics-and-society/andrey-sakharov/>.
“TOP 18 QUOTES BY ANDREI SAKHAROV | A-Z Quotes.” A-Z Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.azquotes.com/author/20532-Andrei_Sakharov>.
Yershov, Anatoly. “News Hotline: A. D. SAKHAROV MUSEUM.” East View. East View INformation Services, June 1991. Web. Nov. 2015. <http://dlib.eastview.com.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/browse/doc/13537001>.
November 16, 2015 @ 4:20 pm
This was an awesome post. It is interesting to see that globally people felt nuclear nonproliferation was a necessity and that these powerful weapons were even to powerful for the mighty USSR. My question is how successful was the movement? I know that in the mid ’50s, Mao assisted in quieting a rebellion against Khrushchev and I was wondering if the two movements were related?
November 16, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
Great post! It’s refreshing to see someone doing the right thing and being responsible, particularly in a time where there was a lot of political unrest and destructive bombs were being pitted against each other. It’s great to see Sakharov being the bigger man and understanding the bad that the hydrogen bomb could have done and to have been responsible with it.
November 16, 2015 @ 7:30 pm
This post, I believe, really highlights the era in question well. While it is seen as a time of stagnation, we see that it is truly anything but. Whether it be economic changes, literacy pushes, or cultural unrest there was a lot going on in the USSR at this time. In this era, the Soviet Union was trying to find its identity in the new leaders that came after Stalin. This post highlights one moment of tension that pushed the USSR deeper into this “identity crisis”.
November 16, 2015 @ 10:59 pm
It’s really cool how a prominent member of Soviet society was able to speak out about what he believed in and really try to make changes in the Soviet Union. Did he end up working for the United States after he was exiled? Or did he just retire?
November 17, 2015 @ 1:07 am
This guy, while extremely intelligent, was clearly very insightful as well. I like how he referenced truth as the ultimate weapon.
November 17, 2015 @ 2:01 am
Thanks for sharing about such a cool guy! I think it’s really interesting how he developed the bomb and then later ended up denouncing it, similar to how many of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project felt. I love the quote at the end as well. Great post!
November 17, 2015 @ 2:02 am
I really like the way you worked his quotes into your post. He sounds very interesting, and I’d like to hear more about what he did specifically to work against nuclear bomb development and the arms race.
November 17, 2015 @ 3:14 am
You used some wonderful Sakharov quotes here. I especially like the idea that truth is more powerful than the bomb! Did you look in the Current Digest for articles about him? It would be interesting to see how / if the official press covered him while he was in exile.
November 17, 2015 @ 5:52 am
Agreed- powerful quotes. This post does a great job of framing the discussion of the negative developments of technology used in modern warfare and its moral and humanitarian consequences.