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[DISSIDENT SAMIZDAT] Razmyshleniia o progresse, mirnom sosushchestvovanii i intellektual’noi svobode [i.e. Reflections on Progress, Peaceful Coexistence and Intellectual Freedom]

Sakharov, A.

Item #1611

[1968]. 38 pp. 21x15 cm. In original printed wrappers. Some soiling of wrappers, otherwise mint.
Typewritten edition.
A crucial essay written by the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989). In 1975, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to the abuse of power and his work for human rights.
Sakharov was inspired to write the essay after events of the Prague Spring, as well as a campaign in defense of condemned Ginzburg, Galanskov and Lashkova. It was originally conceived as an article about the role of intelligentsia in the modern world. “I took paper and a pen and set to work on an article (in early February). However, its topic soon changed and expanded... I wrote mainly at the facility, after work, from about 7 to 12 pm. <...> The main idea of the article is that humanity has come to a critical moment in its history, when the dangers of thermonuclear destruction, ecological self-poisoning, famine and uncontrollable population explosion, dehumanization and dogmatic mythologization hung over it” (Sakharov. Memoirs. Vol. 1).
The article was typewritten by “one typist of a secret department”. Soon Reflections were unofficially spread in Moscow. After the KGB discovered the text during a raid once, Sakharov revised and sent it to L. Brezhnev. In the summer of 1968, the essay was published first in Amsterdam and then in the New York Times. In 1968-1969, the total circulation of publications amounted to 18 million copies. After that, Sakharov was banned from continuing work at a military facility. Many friends of Sakharov also suffered for distribution of the article. After this publication, he became more active in support of the human rights movement.

Worldcat shows copies located in Harvard, California-LA, Michigan, North Carolina Universities.

Price: $350.00