Whether my life has changed since then? Because of the heightened tension between the U.S. and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its allies, someone had had the wisdom and foresight to install Vasili as the leader of the fleet of the four Soviet subs on the mission. Cut off from communication with the outside world, the panicked Soviet sailors feared that they were now under attack. London, UK - On October 27, 1962, a soft-spoken naval officer named Vasili Arkhipov single-handedly prevented nuclear war during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The same day, US U-2 pilot Maj. Rudolf Anderson was shot down while on a reconnaissance mission over Cuba. Kennedy responded by imposing a quarantine zone, and a terrified world waited to see if the Soviet freighters carrying new missiles would turn back. Were gonna blast them now!, Savitsky reportedly said. However the order for a launch needed 3 approvals and Arkhipov refused. Arkhipov's submarine captain, thinking their sub was under attack by American forces, wanted to launch a nuclear weapon at the ships above. No nuclear weapon has been used in war since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Nikolai Zateyev, the commander of the submarine K-19 at the time of its onboard nuclear accident, died on 28 August 1998. After weeks of U.S. intelligence gathering that pointed toward a Soviet arms buildup in Cuba, the inciting incident came on Oct. 14 when an American spy plane flying over the island photographed missile sites under construction. On October 27, the Russian sub B-59, which had been running submerged for days, was cornered by 11 US destroyers and the aircraft carrier USS Randolph. But the third officer, captain Vasily Arkhipov, who was in charge of the whole flotilla, convinced his colleagues that launching a nuclear torpedo was too dangerous a decision to make. On October 13, 2002, on the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the director of the National Security Archive Thomas Blanton remarked that a guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world.. It was then they learned that no shooting war had broken out between the US and Soviet forces, but by arguing against the launching of the nuclear-tipped torpedo, Arkhipov in effect had averted the start of a nuclear war between the two superpowers. 2023 Initiative Gesichter des Friedens | Faces of Peace, Vasili Arkhipov (72), Chief of Staff of the 69th Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, https://www.faces-of-peace.org/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg, https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/89f8bcb53e45adc60699ad1be4fef89d?s=96&d=mm&r=g, Ich bin ausdrcklich damit einverstanden Pressemitteilungen zu erhalten und wei, dass ich mich jederzeit wieder, Steve Killelea, Creator of the Global Peace Index (GPI), Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Chair of Chatham House Council, Farzana Kochai, Mitglied des afghanischen Parlaments, Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Die missbrauchten Frauen des Krieges (Teil 2) Interview mit Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bock, The Abused Women of War (Part 1) Interview with Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, Die missbrauchten Frauen des Krieges (Teil 1) Interview mit Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, Detlef Dzembritzki, Bundesvorsitzender DGVN, Im Visier Die Bedrohung aus dem Cyberraum, Chief of Staff of the 69th Submarine Brigade, Man kann uns nicht mehr ignorieren, deswegen werden wir bekmpft!, Diplomacy in the modern age can never afford to stand still!, Die Welt ist verantwortlich dafr, was in Afghanistan passiert!, We need to focus on human security for sustainable peace!, Die Prozesse sind komplex und zeitaufwendig!, For me that was my day of apocalypse the day that felt like the last of my life!, Fr mich war es der Tag der Apokalypse der Tag, der sich wie der letzte meines Lebens anfhlte!, Knnen nur hoffen, dass Donald Trump nicht erneut zum US-Prsidenten gewhlt wird!, Jeder kann einen Cyber-Angriff fr weniger als 18 Euro beauftragen!. In a situation as complex and pressured as the Cuban missile crisis, when both sides were operating with limited information, a ticking clock, and tens of thousands of nuclear warheads (most, it should be noted, possessed by the US), no single act was truly definitive for war or peace. This incident saw several crew members, along with Arkhipov, exposed to radiation. [2] The radiation to which Arkhipov had been exposed in 1961 may have contributed to his kidney cancer, like many others who served with him in the K-19 accident.[16]. President Kennedy decided against a direct attack on Cuba, opting instead for a blockade around the island to prevent Soviet ships from accessing it, which he announced on Oct. 22. Thinking that President John F. Kennedy was a weak man, he smuggled nuclear missiles into his ally Castros Cuba. The Americans wouldnt find out until decades later that the submarine had been carrying a nuclear missile. Maybe World War III had started already? By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. With no orders or news from Moscow for a week, under tremendous strain and in the appalling conditions, Captain Savitsky suddenly cracked and announced that he was going to use the Special Weapon. Elena Andriukova: I wish for peace, mutual understanding and friendship between nations for myself and for people worldwide. Initiative Gesichter des Friedens | Faces of Peace Arkhipov's actions probably prevented an open nuclear war, the consequences of which would have included the deaths . All rights reserved. Indeed it was retrospectively appreciated just how close nuclear war really was during that time. Loved it, even more, when I won a flagship phone from Huawei last May. It is clear that he is very unhappy about journalist Alexander Mozgovoys revelation (based on Vadim Orlovs account) of the near-use of the nuclear torpedo, which he sees as part of the plot to denigrate and defame prominent Soviet military and naval leaders and destroy the Soviet Armed Forces. Arkhipov describes the events of October 27, when his submarine had to surface because of exhausted batteries while being pursued by U.S. anti-submarine forces. Orlov reported that Savitsky, nervous and sure that war had started already, shouted: We're going to blast them now! Although they were able to save themselves from a nuclear meltdown, the entire crew, including Arkhipov, were irradiated. Aptly, the U.S. National Security Archive has dubbed Arkhipov a man who " saved the world.". To receive the latest in style, watches, cars and luxury news, plus receive great offers from the worlds greatest brands every Friday. For a brief, pivotal moment, Arkhipov's presence of mind was all that would stand between humanity's existence and its annihilation. In this same interview, Olga alludes to her husband's possible superstitious beliefs as well . Vasili Arkhipov was born on January 30th, 1926 to a poor, peasant family near Moscow in the town of Staraya Kupavna. I am a corporate slave for over 2 years now doing digital marketing for Australian-based clients. Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov. But there was an important caveat: all three senior officers on board had to agree to deploy the weapon. This required the men to work in high radiation levels for extended periods. The situation then became even hotter. Vasili Arkhipov. The most remarkable episode that made him famous among submariners happened a year before the Cuban crisis. American warships that had heard the subs desperate short-range distress calls came to the area and offered assistance. But Vasili Arkhipov said no. This was not an attack - these were non-lethal signaling depth charges, intended to prompt the Soviet sub to surface and identify itself. The $50,000 prize will be presented to Arkhipovs grandson, Sergei, and Andriukova at the Institute of Engineering and Technology on Friday evening. sovyetler birlii ile amerika arasnda 1962 ylnda yaanan fze krizinde, dnyann muhtemel nkleer savaa girme ihtimalini bir rus deniz subaynn engelledii ortaya kt. The detonation of this weapon formed a huge plume of radioactive water from its detonation force of some 4.8 kilotonnes. They eventually came up with a secondary coolant system and were able to prevent a reactor meltdown. In a dramatic confrontation, Arkhipov over-ruled Savitsky and, moreover, ordered the submarine to surface, which it did unmolested, and sailed home. [13], In 1997 Arkhipov himself wrote that after surfacing, his submarine was fired on by American aircraft: "the plane, flying over the conning tower, 1 to 3 seconds before the start of fire The Soviets and their fellow communist allies in Cuba had secretly reached a deal to place those missiles on the island in July. You can also contribute via, By submitting your email, you agree to our, 60 years ago today, this man stopped the Cuban missile crisis from going nuclear, This story is part of a group of stories called, Sign up for the They then dove deep to conceal their presence after being spotted by the . He knew what he was doing. All three senior officers had to agree, and Vasili Arkhipov, the 36-year-old second captain and brigade chief of staff, refused to give his assent. Along with three other submarines, it was forced to leave Cuban waters and went back to the USSR. "[16] Each captain was required to present a report of events during the mission to Marshal Andrei Grechko, who substituted for the ill Soviet defense minister. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (30 January 1926 - 19 August 1998) was a Soviet military officer. His heroic moment during the Cuban Missile Crisis didnt become public knowledge until 2002. For his courage, Arkhipov was the first person to be given the Future of Life award by the Cambridge-based existential risk nonprofit the Future of Life Institute (FLI), in 2017. Vasili Arkhipov was a Soviet Union Naval Officer who prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo and therefore a possible nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That led to the Cold Wars most volatile confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union 13 days of high-stakes brinkmanship between two nuclear powers that seemed one misstep away from total war. I still have the invitation today. Vasili Arkhipov was a Soviet naval officer who, upon making a split second decision, prevented the Cuban Missile Crisis from escalating into a nuclear war. It was the most dangerous moment in human history."[21]. THE STORY OF AN IMPORTANT INCIDENT IN HUMAN HISTORY. Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov (Russian: , IPA:[vsilj lksandrvt arxipf], 30 January 1926 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Naval officer who prevented a Soviet nuclear torpedo launch during the Cuban Missile Crisis. So this guy is the only reason why all of us are still alive today On that day, Arkhipov was serving aboard the nuclear-armed Soviet submarine B-59 in international waters near Cuba. Only years later did other officers reveal what went on in those few frightening moments. If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access content on this page, let us know via ourContact form. In fact, Washington had issued a message stating they would be using practice depth charges to force Soviet submarines they determined to be in breach of their blockade to surface. in the Soviet Union. Circa Oct. 28-29, 1962. The captain and the political officer were in favor of firing. My mother was simply happy that he had returned. The true story of Russian naval officer Vasili Arkhipov who stopped a nuclear firestorm and saved the United States, and the world. At a time when the U.S. and the Soviets were locked in a costly arms race, the K-19 was a new vessel the Soviets hoped would provide them with the ability to launch their missiles at their Cold War rival. I worry when I see news about the arms race escalating. President John F. Kennedy had ordered what he called a quarantine of Cuba, stationing a flotilla of naval ships off the coast of the island to prevent Soviet ships from carrying weapons to Cuba and demanding that the USSR remove the missiles. After retirement he quietly lived with his family in the Moscow Region. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (Russian ) IPA vsilj lksandrvt arxipf (30 January 1926 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Navy officer credited with casting the single vote that prevented a Soviet nuclear strike (and, presumably, allout nuclear war) during . Two years later he graduated from the Caspian Higher Naval School, serving in the Black Sea and . On October 27, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the crew of B-59 became alarmed when U.S. Navy destroyers began dropping depth charges. Elena Andriukova: Im actually very worried as are all peace-loving people. Arkhipov gives his audience a hypothetical: the commander could have instinctively, without contemplation ordered an emergency dive; then after submerging, the question whether the plane was shooting at the submarine or around it would not have come up in anybodys head. Easy. B-59 hadnt received that message as they were too deep to pick up radio signals. With the United States and the Soviet Union on the brink of nuclear war, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the tensest moments in modern history. Between October 16 and October 28, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis saw the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a potentially cataclysmic standoff. Vasili Arkhipov (1960's). Arkhipov refused to sanction the launch of the weapon and calmed the captain down. How Vasili Arkhipov Saved The World From Cold War Nuclear Armageddon. Google Pay. Alex Murdaugh stands guilty of killing his wife and son. As I already mentioned at the beginning, my father was also able to demonstrate precisely these character traits during the accident aboard the K-19 submarine during the Polar Circle exercise. Nuclear war is a threat to the whole of humanity. The lessons remain of fundamental importance. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of Vasili Arkhipov. [11] According to author Edward Wilson, the reputation Arkhipov had gained from his courageous conduct in the previous year's K-19 incident played a large role in the debate to launch the torpedo.