Great Soviet scientists are known all over the world. One of them is Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov, a physicist and public figure. He was one of the first to write works on the implementation of a thermonuclear reaction, therefore it is believed that Sakharov is the "father" of the hydrogen bomb in our country. Sakharov Anatoly Dmitrievich is an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, professor, doctor of physical and mathematical sciences. In 1975 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The future scientist was born in Moscow on May 21, 1921. His father was Sakharov Dmitry Ivanovich, a physicist. For the first five years Andrei Dmitrievich studied at home. This was followed by 5 years of study at the school, where Sakharov, under the guidance of his father, was seriously engaged in physics, conducted many experiments.
Study at the university, work at a military factory
Andrey Dmitrievich in 1938 entered the Faculty of Physics at Moscow State University. After the outbreak of World War II, Sakharov, together with the university, went to evacuation to Turkmenistan (Ashgabat). Andrei Dmitrievich became interested in the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. In 1942 he graduated from Moscow State University with honors. In universitySakharov was considered the best student among all who have ever studied at this faculty.
After graduating from Moscow State University, Andrei Dmitrievich refused to remain in graduate school, which Professor A. A. Vlasov advised him to do. A. D. Sakharov, having become a specialist in the field of defense metal science, was sent to a military plant in the city of Kovrov (Vladimir region), and then Ulyanovsk. The conditions of life and work were very difficult, but it was during these years that Andrei Dmitrievich made his first invention. He proposed a device that allowed him to control the hardening of armor-piercing cores.
Marriage to Vikhireva K. A
An important event in Sakharov's personal life happened in 1943 - the scientist married Claudia Alekseevna Vikhireva (1919-1969). She was from Ulyanovsk, worked at the same factory as Andrey Dmitrievich. The couple had three children - a son and two daughters. Because of the war, and later because of the birth of children, Sakharov's wife did not graduate from the university. For this reason, later, after the Sakharovs moved to Moscow, it was difficult for her to find a good job.
Postgraduate studies, Ph. D. thesis
Andrey Dmitrievich, having returned to Moscow after the war, continued his studies in 1945. He entered graduate school with E. I. Tamm, a well-known theoretical physicist who taught at the Physical Institute. P. N. Lebedeva. AD Sakharov wanted to work on the fundamental problems of science. In 1947, his Ph. D. thesis was presented. The topic of the work was nonradiative nuclear transitions. In it the scientistproposed a new rule according to which selection by charge parity should be carried out. He also presented a method for taking into account the interaction of a positron and an electron during the birth of pairs.
Working at the "object", test of the hydrogen bomb
In 1948, A. D. Sakharov was included in a special group led by I. E. Tamm. Its purpose was to test the hydrogen bomb project made by Ya. B. Zel'dovich's group. Andrei Dmitrievich soon presented his bomb project, in which layers of natural uranium and deuterium were placed around an ordinary atomic nucleus. When an atomic nucleus explodes, ionized uranium greatly increases the density of deuterium. It also increases the rate of the thermonuclear reaction, and under the influence of fast neutrons, it begins to divide. This idea was supplemented by V. L. Ginzburg, who suggested using lithium-6 deuteride for the bomb. From it, under the influence of slow neutrons, tritium is formed, which is a very active thermonuclear fuel.
In the spring of 1950, with these ideas, Tamm's group was sent almost in full strength to the "object" - a secret nuclear enterprise, the center of which was in the city of Sarov. Here, the number of scientists working on the project has increased significantly as a result of the influx of young researchers. The group's work culminated in the testing of the first hydrogen bomb in the USSR, which was successfully carried out on August 12, 1953. This bomb is known as "Sakharov's puff".
The very next year, on January 4, 1954, Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov became a Hero of Socialist Labor, and alsoreceived the Hammer and Sickle medal. A year earlier, in 1953, the scientist became an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
A new test and its consequences
The group, headed by A. D. Sakharov, further worked on the compression of thermonuclear fuel using radiation obtained from the explosion of an atomic charge. In November 1955, a new hydrogen bomb was successfully tested. However, it was overshadowed by the death of a soldier and a girl, as well as injuries to many people who were at a considerable distance from the site. This, as well as the mass eviction of residents from nearby territories, made Andrei Dmitrievich seriously think about the tragic consequences that atomic explosions could lead to. He wondered what would happen if this terrible power suddenly got out of hand.
Sakharov's ideas that laid the foundation for large-scale research
Simultaneously with the work on hydrogen bombs, Academician Sakharov, together with Tamm, in 1950 proposed the idea of how to carry out magnetic plasma confinement. The scientist made fundamental calculations on this issue. He also owns the idea and calculations for the formation of superstrong magnetic fields by compressing the magnetic flux with a cylindrical conductive shell. The scientist de alt with these issues in 1952. In 1961, Andrei Dmitrievich proposed the use of laser compression in order to obtain a thermonuclear controlled reaction. Sakharov's ideas laid the foundation for large-scale research carried out in the field of thermonuclear energy.
Two articles by Sakharovon the harmful effects of radioactivity
In 1958, Academician Sakharov presented two articles on the harmful effects of radioactivity resulting from bomb explosions and its effect on heredity. As a result, as the scientist noted, the average life expectancy of the population is decreasing. According to Sakharov, in the future, each megaton explosion will lead to 10,000 cases of cancer.
Andrey Dmitrievich in 1958 unsuccessfully tried to influence the decision of the USSR to extend the moratorium announced by him on the implementation of atomic explosions. In 1961, the moratorium was broken by the testing of a very powerful hydrogen bomb (50 megatons). It was more political than military. Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov on March 7, 1962 received the third Hammer and Sickle medal.
Community activities
In 1962, Sakharov entered into sharp conflicts with state authorities and his colleagues over the development of weapons and the need to ban their testing. This confrontation had a positive result - in 1963, an agreement was signed in Moscow prohibiting the testing of nuclear weapons in all three environments.
It should be noted that even in those years Andrei Dmitrievich's interests were not limited exclusively to nuclear physics. The scientist was active in social work. In 1958, Sakharov spoke out against the plans of Khrushchev, who planned to shorten the period of secondary education. A few years later, together with his colleagues, Andrei Dmitrievich relieved T. D. Lysenko of the Sovietgenetics.
Sakharov in 1964 made a speech at the Academy of Sciences, in which he spoke out against the election of the biologist N. I. Nuzhdin, who eventually did not become one. Andrei Dmitrievich believed that this biologist, like T. D. Lysenko, was responsible for the difficult, shameful pages in the development of domestic science.
Scientist in 1966 signed a letter to the 23rd Congress of the CPSU. In this letter ("25 celebrities"), famous people opposed the rehabilitation of Stalin. It noted that "the greatest disaster" for the people would be any attempt to revive intolerance of dissent - a policy pursued by Stalin. In the same year, Sakharov met R. A. Medvedev, who wrote a book about Stalin. She markedly influenced the views of Andrei Dmitrievich. In February 1967, the scientist sent his first letter to Brezhnev, in which he spoke out in defense of four dissidents. The harsh response of the authorities was the deprivation of Sakharov of one of the two posts that he held at the "object".
Manifesto article, suspension from work at the "object"
In foreign media in June 1968 an article by Andrei Dmitrievich appeared, in which he reflected on progress, intellectual freedom and peaceful coexistence. The scientist spoke about the dangers of ecological self-poisoning, thermonuclear destruction, dehumanization of mankind. Sakharov noted that there is a need for convergence between the capitalist and socialist systems. He also wrote about the crimes committed by Stalin, about the lack of democracy in the USSR.
In this article-manifesto, the scientist advocated the abolition of political courts and censorship, against the placement of dissidents in psychiatric clinics. The reaction of the authorities followed quickly: Andrei Dmitrievich was suspended from work at a secret facility. He lost all posts, one way or another connected with military secrets. A. D. Sakharov's meeting with A. I. Solzhenitsyn took place on August 26, 1968. It was revealed that they have different views on the social transformations that the country needs.
Death of wife, work at FIAN
Followed by a tragic event in Sakharov's personal life - in March 1969, his wife died, leaving the scientist in a state of despair, which later gave way to mental devastation that stretched for many years. I. E. Tamm, who at that time headed the Theoretical Department of FIAN, wrote a letter to M. V. Keldysh, President of the USSR Academy of Sciences. As a result of this and, apparently, sanctions from above, on June 30, 1969, Andrei Dmitrievich was enrolled in the department of the institute. Here he took up scientific work, becoming a senior research fellow. This position was the lowest of all that a Soviet academician could receive.
Continued human rights activities
In the period from 1967 to 1980, the scientist wrote more than 15 scientific papers. At the same time, he began to conduct active social activities, which no longer corresponded to the policy of official circles. Andrei Dmitrievich initiated appeals for the release of human rights activists Zh. A. Medvedev and P. G. Grigorenko from psychiatric hospitals. Together with R. A. Medvedev and physicist V. Turchin, the scientist published a "Memorandum ondemocratization and intellectual freedom".
Sakharov came to Kaluga to participate in the picketing of the court, where the trial of dissidents B. Weil and R. Pimenov was being carried out. In November 1970, Andrei Dmitrievich, together with physicists A. Tverdokhlebov and V. Chalidze, founded the Human Rights Committee, whose task was to implement the principles laid down by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Together with Academician Leontovich M. A. in 1971, Sakharov spoke out against the use of psychiatry for political purposes, as well as for the right of the Crimean Tatars to return, for freedom of religion, for German and Jewish emigration.
Marrying Bonner E. G., campaign against Sakharov
Marriage to Elena Grigorievna Bonner (years of life - 1923-2011) took place in 1972. The scientist met this woman in 1970 in Kaluga when he went to the trial. Having become a colleague and faithful friend of her husband, Elena Grigoryevna focused Andrei Dmitrievich's activities on protecting the rights of individuals. From now on, Sakharov considered program documents as subjects for discussion. However, in 1977, the theoretical physicist nevertheless signed a collective letter addressed to the Presidium of the Supreme Council, which spoke about the need to abolish the death pen alty, about an amnesty.
In 1973, Sakharov gave an interview to U. Stenholm, a radio correspondent from Sweden. In it, he spoke about the nature of the then existing Soviet system. The Deputy Prosecutor General issued a warning to Andrei Dmitrievich, but despite this, the scientist held a press conference for eleven Westernjournalists. He denounced the threat of persecution. The reaction to such actions was a letter from 40 academicians, published in the Pravda newspaper. It was the beginning of a vicious campaign against the public activities of Andrei Dmitrievich. On his side were human rights activists, as well as Western scientists and politicians. A. I. Solzhenitsyn proposed to award the scientist the Nobel Peace Prize.
The first hunger strike, Sakharov's book
In September 1973, continuing the struggle for the right of everyone to emigrate, Andrei Dmitrievich sent a letter to the US Congress in which he supported the Jackson amendment. The following year, R. Nixon, President of the United States, arrived in Moscow. During his visit, Sakharov held his first hunger strike. He also gave a TV interview to draw public attention to the fate of political prisoners.
E. On the basis of the French humanitarian award received by Sakharov, G. Bonner founded the Fund for Assistance to the Children of Political Prisoners. Andrei Dmitrievich in 1975 met with G. Bell, a famous German writer. Together with him, he made an appeal aimed at protecting political prisoners. Also in 1975, the scientist published his book in the West called "On the Country and the World." In it, Sakharov developed the ideas of democratization, disarmament, convergence, economic and political reforms, and strategic balance.
Nobel Peace Prize (1975)
The Nobel Peace Prize was deservedly awarded to the academician in October 1975. The award was received by his wife, who was treated abroad. She made a speechSakharov prepared by him for the presentation ceremony. In it, the scientist called for "genuine disarmament" and "true detente", for a political amnesty throughout the world, as well as for the widespread release of all prisoners of conscience. The next day Sakharov's wife delivered his Nobel lecture "Peace, Progress, Human Rights". In it, the academician argued that all three of these goals are closely related to each other.
Prosecution, link
Despite the fact that Sakharov actively opposed the Soviet regime, he was not formally charged until 1980. It was put forward when the scientist sharply condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. On January 8, 1980, A. Sakharov was deprived of all the government awards he had received earlier. His exile began on January 22, when he was sent to Gorky (today it is Nizhny Novgorod), where he was under house arrest. The photo below shows the house in Gorky, where the academician lived.
Sakharov's hunger strike for E. G. Bonner's right to travel
In the summer of 1984, Andrei Dmitrievich went on a hunger strike for the right of his wife to travel to the United States for treatment and to meet with relatives. It was accompanied by painful feeding and forced hospitalization, but did not bring results.
In April-September 1985, the last hunger strike of the academician took place, pursuing the same goals. Only in July 1985 was E. G. Bonner granted permission to leave. This happened after Sakharovsent a letter to Gorbachev promising to stop his public appearances and concentrate entirely on scientific work if the trip was allowed.
Last year of life
In March 1989, Sakharov became a People's Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The scientist thought a lot about the reform of the political structure in the Soviet Union. In November 1989, Sakharov presented a draft constitution based on the protection of individual rights and the right of peoples to statehood.
The biography of Andrei Sakharov ends on December 14, 1989, when, after another busy day spent at the Congress of People's Deputies, he died. As the autopsy showed, the academician's heart was completely worn out. In Moscow, at the Vostryakovsky cemetery, the "father" of the hydrogen bomb, as well as an outstanding fighter for human rights, is buried.
A. Sakharov Foundation
The memory of the great scientist and public figure lives in the hearts of many. In 1989, the Andrei Sakharov Foundation was established in our country, the purpose of which is to preserve the memory of Andrei Dmitrievich, promote his ideas, and protect human rights. In 1990, the Foundation appeared in the United States. Elena Bonner, the wife of the academician, was the chairman of these two organizations for a long time. She passed away on June 18, 2011 from a heart attack.
In the photo above - a monument to Sakharov, installed in St. Petersburg. The area where he is located is named after him. Soviet Nobel laureates are not forgotten, as evidenced by the flowers brought to their monuments and graves.
