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Marking the Centenary of Academician Andrei Sakharov: Panel discussion (in English and Russian) – Friday, 21 May at 19:00 (BST)

Friday 21 May, 2021, 19:00 - 20:30

Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989)

A theoretical physicist and one of the creators of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was also an earnest advocate for ending the Cold War, a dissident and a devout defender of human rights in the Soviet Union. His scrupulous sense of fairness, clear and captivating logic, and unselfish dedication to the cause of peace and justice made many feel that he was the “conscience of the people”. Sakharov died two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Had he lived longer, who knows – the course of events might have taken a different turn.

The name of Sakharov is well known, but not necessarily all the published information about him is accurate or complete. How much do we really know about his life, ideas, aspirations, labours, and achievements?

WHEN: Friday, 21 May 2021, 19:00 (BST)
WHERE: Zoom
LANGUAGE: English and Russian

FEE: Voluntary donation*

Please REGISTER in advance (with your name and email address). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a Zoom joining link.

 

There are so many aspects of Andrei Sakharov’s personality that it is an almost impossible undertaking to discuss and explore them all in one evening, but our panellists will help us add a few brushstrokes to a portrait of the great man.

Panel:

Gennady Gorelik

Gennady Gorelik, physicist originally from Russia, author, and until recently Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, USA. His book The World of Andrei Sakharov: A Russian Physicist’s Path to Freedom was published in English in 2005 by Oxford University Press (in Russian: “Андрей Сахаров: наука и свобода”). For more information about his work, please see this website, https://ggorelik.wordpress.com/

Presentation slides of Gennady Gorelik’s talk.

 

 

Alexander Daniel

Alexander Daniel, Soviet dissident, mathematician, author and researcher of the history of human-rights movement and dissidents in Russia and the USSR. He took part in publications of the Samizdat literature such as The Chronicles of the Current Events, and the historical almanac Memory. Board member of “Memorial”, an international historical and civil-rights society. Until recently, he was responsible for the programme “History of Dissidents in the USSR”.

 

David Holloway

David Holloway, Professor of International History at Stanford University, USA. His research focuses on the international history of nuclear weapons, science and technology in the Soviet Union. Author of the book Stalin and the Bomb: The Soviet Union and Atomic Energy, 1939-1956 (Yale University Press, 1994). He did both his undergraduate studies and PhD in Cambridge, UK.

Remarks of David Holloway’s talk. 

 

Q&As will follow the panel discussion in both English and Russian.

You may like to watch these videos about Andrei Sakharov (in Russian): “А.Д. Сахаров – 100 лет” (A.D. Sakharov – 100 years), and “Мой муж Андрей Сахаров” (My Husband, Andrei Sakharov). To turn on auto-generated English subtitles, click on the cogwheel in the menu, turn the subtitles on, choose “auto-translate,” and choose the language (English) from the dropdown menu.


* While there is no charge for our online events, CamRuSS would welcome any donations towards the support of our volunteers’ efforts in bringing more speakers and online events during the social distancing time.
Suggested donation £5-£10. 
All the money that CamRuSS raise from membership fees & donations goes towards organising events, supporting community projects, and essential technical and administrative costs.

You can send your donations by:
– a direct bank transfer (BACS) to the following account:
The Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society
NATWEST Bank, Sort code: 60-11-30 Account: 25395637

– PayPal with CamRuSS’ email address: camruss@camruss.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!