The Sakharov Phenomenon

Abstract

This was my speech at the funeral service for Andrei Sakharov held at FIAN on December 18, 1989. I quote it here in full because it depicts briefly my attitude to Sakharov.

Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was an exceptional, outstanding person. One cannot apply an ordinary yardstick to measure him. I think we can talk of a unique Sakharov phenomenon. I knew him for 44 years. I can hardly claim, however, that I fully understood him. Is this surprising, though? No, it is not. Such a powerful and multifaceted personality will necessarily be in some way too profound and even mysterious to be understood by ordinary persons. But these considerations are not really relevant here. What is relevant is that he was obviously a pure and magnificent human being.

I would like to add that, as a physicist, he possessed an extremely rare and original talent in science. You know Yakov Zeldovich, who was an outstanding physicist himself; he told me once, “I can understand and gauge other physicists but Sakharov is somebody entirely different, somebody special.” I also have this feeling, but Sakharov’s life turned so that he could not dedicate himself to pure science. The reasons for that are well known. Elena Bonner said that Andrei Sakharov was nevertheless a happy man, and I was very glad to hear that.

I would like to conclude with the ancient Christian last words at a funeral, “Let his soul rest in peace.”