Andrei Sakharov’s centenary (video)
News | European Parliament
This 21 May is the centenary of Andrei Sakharov’s birth, the man who Parliament named its human rights prize after. Learn more about him in our video.
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Andrei Sakharov, Soviet physicist and political dissident. Known first as the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, Sakharov went on to lead an unrelenting fight against social injustice, advocated the release of dissidents in his country and become one of the regime’s most vocal critics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1975.
Today, in a world where authoritarian regimes and populist forces undermine the fundamental freedoms and question the principle of human rights, the moral symbol represented by Andrei Sakharov constitutes a source of inspiration for all those who fight for democratic principles
The Sakharov Prize
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded every year since 1988 to individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Last year, the prize went to the democratic opposition in Belarus. Learn more about previous Sakharov Prize laureates.
Online exhibition
To find out more about the Sakharov Prize, have a look at the online exhibition on the European cultural heritage website europeana.eu.