Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. Elena Andriukova: To those people who consider my father a coward I want to say: You havent experienced what he had to go through. Over the course of two years, 15 more sailors died from the after-effects. Dr Jonathan Colman, an expert on the Cuban missile crisis at the University of Central Lancashire, agreed that the award was fitting. Ich habe die Datenschutzerklrung gelesen und erklre mich mit der Speicherung und Verarbeitung meiner Daten einverstanden. He had previously experienced very hard times. Here is the story and biography of the Soviet Naval Officer who saved the world from nuclear war during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crises between the US and the Soviet Union. Off the coast of Cuba, 11 American destroyers and an aircraft carrier had surrounded one of the submarines, B-59. 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. As flotilla Commodore as well as executive officer of the diesel powered submarine B-59, Arkhipov refused to authorize the captain and the political officer's use of nuclear torpedoes against the United States Navy, a decision which required the agreement of all three officers. I f you . As for Arkhipov, after those two dangerous episodes in the early 1960s, he continued to serve in the Soviet Navy, eventually being promoted to rear admiral and becoming head of the Kirov Naval Academy. Yes, the second-in-command on the B-59 had been given . Pronunciation of Vasili Arkhipov with 1 audio pronunciations. That was 1945 and my father was deputy commander of Military Brigade 1. After discussions with the ship, B-59 was then ordered by the Russian fleet to set course back to the Soviet Union. Wikimedia CommonsVasili Arkhipov in 1960. Please enter a valid email and try again. Once the nuclear threshold had been crossed, it is hard to imagine that the genie could have been put back into the bottle, he said. In 1962, during the Cold War, the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev did something very risky. Oops. The sub was running out of energy and air, and to recharge it needed to surface, but the crew didnt know if American ships would attack or not. [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 "A guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world." - Thomas Blanton in 2002 (then director of the National Security Archive) Last month, October 27, 1962 marked the 50th anniversary of an event too important in world history for it to get lost amid the Halloween and other "trivial" holiday-related notifications. American warships that had heard the subs desperate short-range distress calls came to the area and offered assistance. The 2021 novel Red Traitor by Owen Matthews includes Arkhipov as a major viewpoint character, and is dedicated to him. 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. President Kennedy had been very worried about the possibility of a clash between American warships and Soviet submarines in the Caribbean, and it is absolutely clear that his fears were justified, Colman added, noting that certain decisions at the operational level were out of his control. Elon Musk thinks were close to solving AI. Thats just scratching the surface. In der Rubrik Sieben Fragen an stellen wir zudem regelmig interessanten Persnlichkeiten sieben Fragen zu den Themen Friedensschaffung und Friedenserhaltung, Sicherheitspolitik sowie Konfliktprvention. - in Amazing Humans. The Americans had no idea that B-59 was armed with nuclear weapons, and started to drop depth charges in order to force the submarine to the surface. Commander Nikolai Shumkov commanded the K-19s maiden voyage, and his task was to test a torpedo fitted with a nuclear warhead. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The lessons remain of fundamental importance. Fifty years ago, Arkhipov, a senior officer on the Soviet B-59 submarine, refused permission to launch its nuclear torpedo. But at the peak of the crisis, one Soviet naval officer managed to keep a cool head and avert nuclear devastation. Arkhipov refused to sanction the launch of the weapon and calmed the captain down. For world peace! The depth charges were exploding closer and closer. In the Seven questions to category we furthermore put seven questions on the issues of peace-building and peace-keeping, security policy and conflict prevention to interesting personalities. They eventually came up with a secondary coolant system and were able to prevent a reactor meltdown. The operation was top secret and took around two months. His heroic moment during the Cuban Missile Crisis didnt become public knowledge until 2002. Somehow keeping a level head in the midst of chaos, Arkhipov reportedly managed to convince Savitsky that the Americans were not actually attacking them and that they were only firing depth charges in order to get the Soviets attention and merely draw them to the surface. February 19, 2023. My fathers decision is a sign of his strength, not his weakness! Arkhipov, with the power of veto . words of John F. Kennedy administration staffer Arthur Schlesinger, Stanislav Petrov, another Cold War hero who saved the world from nuclear annihilation. But after learning his story, youd be hard-pressed to say he didnt in fact save the world. Educated in the Pacific Higher Naval School of the Soviet Union, he would serve in the closing month of World War II aboard a minesweeper during the Soviet campaign against the Empire of Japan. Vasili Arkhipov, who family will receive the posthumous award on his behalf. Vasili Arkhipov. From what little they knew of what was happening above the surface, it seemed possible that nuclear war had already broken out. (3 votes) Very easy. It is worth noting that when coming under fire Arkhipov knew he was risking two things; getting killed by simply surfacing if a shooting war was in fact underway and starting a nuclear war by returning fire in such a manner if one wasnt underway. Arkhipov continued his naval service, reaching the rank of vice admiral in 1981. Historians posted . In recognition of his actions onboard B-59, Arkhipov received the first "Future of Life Award," which was presented posthumously to his family in 2017. Vasily Arkhipov, an officer who prevented nuclear confrontation during Cuban missile crisis. After this look at Vasili Arkhipov, read up on Stanislav Petrov, another Cold War hero who saved the world from nuclear annihilation. That included its captain, Valentin Savitsky, who according to a report from the US National Security Archive, exclaimed: Were gonna blast them now! From the very beginning, the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 threatened world-scale disaster. : Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov, : , 1926130 - 1998819 . Indeed it was retrospectively appreciated just how close nuclear war really was during that time. Historians posted . The three men were captain Savitsky, political officer Ivan Semyonovich Maslennikov, and executive officer Arkhipov. So much money has already been spent on armaments. The officers had to decide whether to fight back or not. He did his part for the future so that everyone can live on our planet.. He knew what he was doing. Vasili Aleksandrovich Arkhipov was a Soviet Navy officer credited with preventing a nuclear strike and potentially all-out nuclear war and the total destruction of the world during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when he refused to launch a nuclear torpedo from submarine B-59 as flotilla chief of staff, going the against the orders of submarine captain Valentin Grigorievitch . So yes, I do worry just like practically all of the other inhabitants of our planet! WHAT IS VASILI ARKHIPOV FAMOUS FOR? It was anyway forbidden to talk about this subject. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov and Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov were two Soviet soldiers, members of the armed forces. He showed the same level of composure off the coast of Cuba a . Difficult. They then dove deep to conceal their presence after being spotted by the Americans and were thus cut off from communication with the surface. Hes going to sea! was all he added. But Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov was, in the words of a top American, the guy who saved the world.. On that day, Arkhipov was serving aboard the nuclear-armed Soviet submarine B-59 in international waters near Cuba. Ms. Andriukova, thank you very much for the interview! Elena Andriukova: Thank you very much for not forgetting the events or my father. 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. With tensions running high (and the air conditioning out), the conditions inside the sub had begun to deteriorate quickly as the crew grew ever more fearful. [12] The B-59's batteries ran very low and its air conditioning failed, which caused extreme heat and generated high levels of carbon dioxide inside the submarine. They thought they were witnessing the beginning of a third world war. We will die, but we will sink them all we will not become the shame of the fleet.. And the subsequent similar actions (there were 12 overflights altogether) were not as worrisome any longer. As a result, the situation in the control room played out very differently. The captain and the political officer were in favor of firing. In his account, the captain, Savitsky, was blinded and shocked by the bright lights and sounds of explosions and could not even understand what was happening as he came up on the conning tower. Vasili Arkhipov. Wikimedia CommonsOne of the American spy plane images photographs missile sites in Cuba that helped instigate the crisis. This period made a strong impression on him and it made a significant contribution to the development of his personality, the formation of his character and his feeling of responsibility towards the lives of other people. turned on powerful searchlights and blinded the people on the bridge when [the commander] blinked and blinked his eyes and could see again, it became clear that the plane was firing past and along the boat. But as tensions between the US and Russia only grow over the war in Ukraine, and as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes veiled threats about wielding his countrys nuclear arsenal, we should remember the awful power of these world-ending weapons. This presentation is the only known public statement by Vasily Arkhipov about the events on submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Telefon: +49 (0) 2131-5978299 I am a corporate slave for over 2 years now doing digital marketing for Australian-based clients. 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. Trapped in a diesel-powered submarine thousands of miles from home, buffeted by exploding depth charges and threatened with suffocation and death, Arkhipov kept his head. What the U.S. Navy didnt realize was that the B-59 was armed with a nuclear torpedo, one theyd been instructed to use without waiting for approval if their submarine or their Soviet homeland was under fire. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of Vasili Arkhipov. Then, experience the best photos and stories from the Cold War. He was heading to Cuba onboard the submarine B-59, leading the flotilla of four USSR submarines, when US destroyers started dropping depth charge to force it . PCSO LOTTO RESULTS. No, not at all really. Whats more, the officers had permission to launch it without waiting for approval from Moscow. Arkhipov was known to be a shy and humble man. V asili Arkhipov was one of three commanders of a B-59 Soviet . However, Vasili Arkhipov remained in the Soviet Navy until the 1980s and eventually died at the age of 72 in 1998. Elena Andriukova: When my father was commissioned in 1962 he was a person of strong character. As flotilla commander and second-in-command of the diesel powered submarine B-59, Arkhipov refused to . The photograph above shows Vasili Arkhipov in 1953 when he was officer aboard the M . - May 11, 2021. Arkhipovs story shows how close to nuclear catastrophe we have been in the past, she said. He is considered to be a world hero who is credited with casting the single vote that prevented a Soviet nuclear strike, which would have caused a major global thermonuclear response and most likely destroyed much of the world. In the words of John F. Kennedy administration staffer Arthur Schlesinger, It was the most dangerous moment in human history.. [5][6], By then, there had been no contact from Moscow for a number of days, and although the B-59's crew had been picking up U.S. civilian radio broadcasts earlier on, the submarine was too deep to monitor any radio traffic, as it was busy trying to hide from its American pursuers. 16 December] 1906 - 13 June 1985) was an officer in the tank troops of the Red Army who was twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his actions in the Winter War and World War II. They include difficulty of securing accurate intelligence, and the unpredictability of events. It is clear that he is very unhappy about journalist Alexander Mozgovoy's revelation (based on Vadim Orlov's 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 . B-59 hadnt received that message as they were too deep to pick up radio signals. Arkhipov's actions probably prevented an open nuclear war, the consequences of which would have included the deaths . It was posthumous Arkhipov died in 1998, before the news of his actions was widely known. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (30 January 1926 - 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Navy officer credited with preventing a Soviet nuclear strike (and, presumably, all-out nuclear war) during the Cuban Missile Crisis. You can now buy a fraction of a house. Although Arkhipov was only second-in-command of submarine B-59, he was actually Commander of the flotilla of submarines including B-4, B-36, and B-130, and of equal rank to Captain Savitsky. The escalation of military tensions and conflicts in which people are killed also unsettles me. a report from the US National Security Archive, Nobel peace prize-winning organisation, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, all states must urgently join the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. Soviet Naval officer Vasili Arkhipov, 34, was one of the three commanders aboard the B-59 submarine near Cuba on Oct. 27. It is clear that he is very unhappy about journalist Alexander Mozgovoy's revelation (based on Vadim Orlov's account) of the near-use of the nuclear torpedo, which he sees as part of the plot to . He said there were three scenarios: 'First, if you get a hole under the water. Arkhipov l mt trong ba s quan ch huy cp cao ca tu ngm ht nhn tn cng . So this guy is the only reason why all of us are still alive today Kaarst - Germany Now its all about Trump. He had passed away four years earlier, in 1998. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to two life terms for murdering his wife and son. Thankfully, the captain didnt have sole discretion over the launch. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. Unknown to the world, Russian officer Vasili Arkhipov single-handedly averted nuclear war at the height of the Cuban missile crisis The world only found out about Arkhipov's heroics 50 years later . Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov (1926-1998) was second in command of the Soviet nuclear submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. . He rose to the rank of colonel general during the Cold War. Arkhipov, K-19's deputy captain was among the few who remained calm, maintained order and helped to organize a proper evacuation. One evening she was preparing dinner, as she waited for my father, when the doorbell rang. [29], In 2002, Thomas S. Blanton, the director of the U.S. National Security Archive, said that Arkhipov "saved the world". The Man Who Saved the World--Vasili Arkhipov "Vasili Arkhipov is arguably the most important person in modern history, thanks to whom October 27, 2017 isn't the 55th anniversary of WWIII." . Arkhipov eventually persuaded Savitsky to surface the submarine and await orders from Moscow. With no backup systems, captain Nikolai Zateyev ordered the seven members of the engineer crew to come up with a solution to avoid nuclear meltdown. 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. On Oct. 27, 1962, the world was close to a full-scale confrontation between the two nuclear superpowers. Those who are free from their shifts, are sitting immobile, staring at one spot. The K-19 finally made it to another Soviet submarine and its crew was evacuated. When detected, Americans were horrified to find that their key cities could be taken out in a Soviet first-strike attack. [1] For his actions in 1962, he has been . This incident saw several crew members, along with Arkhipov, exposed to radiation. At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis on 27 October 1962, the US Navy detected a Soviet submarine near the blockaded island of Cuba. My father, Vasili Arkhipov, was Chief of Staff of the 69th Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet when, in October 1962, he was commissioned by the Navy High Command to undertake a top secret mission. Elena Andriukova: I wish for peace, mutual understanding and friendship between nations for myself and for people worldwide. This website uses cookies. Arkhipov was born into a peasant family in the town of Staraya Kupavna, near Moscow. Savitsky was one of the Soviet commanders above Vasili in the Soviet Navy,and who ordered the launch of the missile to the Americas during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The George Washington University His captain Valentin Savitsky was unaware that they were non-lethal . Washington Post, October 16, 2002, Thomas S. Blanton, "The Cuban Missile Crisis: 40 Years Later"(interview). My mother always protected him with her love. Two of the vessels senior officers including the captain, Valentin Savitsky wanted to launch the missile. In 1961, he became deputy commander of the new Hotel-class missile submarine K-19. Only years later did other officers reveal what went on in those few frightening moments. Unraveling The Deadly Legend Of The Pacific's Own Bermuda Triangle, Fatal Hit-And-Run Driver Arrested After Blatantly Admitting Guilt In Local News Interview, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. This presentation is the only known public statement by Vasily Arkhipov about the events on submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Arkhipov was appointed deputy commander of the K-19 in its maiden voyage in July 1961, under the command of Captain Nikolai Zateyev. 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. The end in this case meant not just the fate of the submarine and its crew, but potentially the entire world. Savitsky had his men ready the onboard missile, as strong as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, planning to aim it at one of the 11 U.S. ships in the blockade. After a few days conducting exercises off the coast of Greenland, the submarine developed a major leak in its reactor coolant system, leading to the failure of the cooling pumps. Kirov Naval Academy (National Naval Academy, Baku) website, downloaded in 2014, National Security Archive But, says Thomas Blanton, the former director of the nongovernmental National Security Archive, simply put, this "guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world." (Krulwich 2). Knowledge is power or so they say. He died an unsung hero and even to this day the fateful decision he took on October 27, 1962, is relatively unacknowledged and not widely known. Arkhipov backed Captain Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev, who feared that the crew would mutiny out of sheer desperation, by helping him dump most of the ships small arms arsenal overboard in order to avert the possibility that this potential mutiny would be an armed one. THE STORY OF AN IMPORTANT INCIDENT IN HUMAN HISTORY. 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. His wife, Olga, is in no doubt about his crucial role, The man who prevented a nuclear war, I am proud of my husband always., Sign up to our newsletter and follow us on social media. 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. That gave the commander of the submarine task force, Vasili Arkhipov, who was behind him, the chance to countermand the order. Vasili Arkhipov and wife Olga Arkhipova. The US Navy ships began dropping depth charges around the submarine, called the B-59, rocking it violently from side to side. The prior year, Arkhipov was deputy commander of the new Hotel-class ballistic missile submarine K-19, where he survived the radiation spread throughout the ship due to the jury-rigged cooling water system that successfully reduced the temperature in the reactor after the primary coolant system developed a major leak.He then helped to quell a potential mutiny, backing Captain First Rank . Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (30 January 1926 - 19 August 1998) was a Soviet military officer. Mr. Arkhipov had come a long way from the peasant family that lived near Moscow in which he had grown up. 1 TMG: Sven Lilienstrm Two years later he graduated from the Caspian Higher Naval School, serving in the Black Sea and . Vasili Arkhipov, who died in 1998. In reaction to the bombardment of the U.S. Navy, two of the three officers in command of the Soviet B-59 submarine decided to launch a nuclear torpedo. 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