Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Sakharov, an outstanding scientist and public figure, was born on the 21st of May 1921. He graduated from Moscow University in 1942. In 1947 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Science. In 1953 he defended his Doctorate thesis and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences. Sakharov played a decisive role in developing the Soviet hydrogen bomb. While working on the bomb he came to the conclusion that any atomic and nuclear weapons should be banned. He fought courageously for human rights in the former USSR and in 1975 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His international repute as a scientist kept safe for some time, but in 1980 he was deprived of all his titles and orders and exiled to the city of Gorky. There he continued to work for peace, justice and human rights. Only in 1985 Sakharov was allowed to come back to Moscow. He was given back all his titles and 3 years later he was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet. But soon he died in 1989. A.D. Sakharov is remembered by everybody as an outstanding humanist and philosopher.