This incident, it can be safely assumed, had a profound effect on Arkhipov. The most dangerous of all those days the day when our species likely came closer than any other to wiping itself off the face of the Earth came 60 years ago today, on October 27, 1962. When he was home he would return very late, and then hed leave the house very early again the next morning in his military capacity. The Future of Life award is a prize awarded for a heroic act that has greatly benefited humankind, done despite personal risk and without being rewarded at the time, said Max Tegmark, professor of physics at MIT and leader of the Future of Life Institute. That was 1945 and my father was deputy commander of Military Brigade 1. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. 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. I still have the invitation today. Then an American fleet detected submarine B59, harassing her by dropping small practice depth-charges to frighten her into surfacing. An argument broke out between the three of them, with only Arkhipov against the launch. 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 Loved it, even more, when I won a flagship phone from Huawei last May. It was anyway forbidden to talk about this subject. The musical group Converge dedicated a composition called "Arkhipov Calm" to Arkhipov in 2017. The sub returned to the surface, headed away from Cuba, and steamed back toward the Soviet Union. Robert McNamara acknowledged, after a reevaluation of the circumstances and the risks of confrontation during those fateful days that the United States and the U.S.S.R. were closer [to nuclear war] than we knew at the time.. Arkhipov, K-19's deputy captain was among the few who remained calm, maintained order and helped to organize a proper evacuation. [19], Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defense at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, stated in 2002 that "We came very, very close [to nuclear war], closer than we knew at the time. Kaarst - Germany 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. Very difficult. Vasili was born to a poor, peasant family near the Russian capital, Moscow on 30th January 1926. Support our mission, and make a gift today. Vasili Arkhipov was a Soviet naval officer who refused to allow a Soviet nuclear attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. 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 . Despite being in international waters, the United States Navy started dropping signaling depth charges, which were intended to force the submarine to come to the surface for identification. 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. . But the midshipman said nothing, only suggesting that Vasili Arkhipov would not be coming home today. 'We thought - that's it - the end.' Vasili Arkhipov became a Rear-Admiral and died in 1998. The lesson from this is that a guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world, Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, told the Boston Globe in 2002, following a conference in which the details of the situation were explored. The K-19 was then towed home. Soviet Naval officer Vasili Arkhipov, 34, was one of the three commanders aboard the B-59 submarine near Cuba on Oct. 27. One reason why Savitsky listened to Arhipov was the authority that he had through years of service. During World War two he served on a minesweeper fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific and after attending the Caspian Higher Naval School from . (The B-59 was one of four Foxtrot submarines sent by the USSR to the area around Cuba.) Mr. Arkhipov had come a long way from the peasant family that lived near Moscow in which he had grown up. Much of what is known about his personality comes from her. National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book, No. [17], Grechko was infuriated with the crew's failure to follow the strict orders of secrecy after finding out they had been discovered by the Americans. Elena Andriukova: My father never talked about what happened during his military deployments. The escalation of military tensions and conflicts in which people are killed also unsettles me. They had received an order from Soviet leadership to stop in the Caribbean short of the American blockade around Cuba. Orlov reported that Savitsky, nervous and sure that war had started already, shouted: We're going to blast them now! Such an attack likely would have caused a major global thermonuclear response. He showed the same level of composure off the coast of Cuba a year later. It felt like you were sitting in a metal barrel, which somebody is constantly blasting with a sledgehammer.. Vasili Arkhipov, who family will receive the posthumous award on his behalf. Washington Post, October 16, 2002, Thomas S. Blanton, "The Cuban Missile Crisis: 40 Years Later"(interview). Konflik memuncak pada 27 Oktober 1962, ketika kapal selam Soviet B-59 berniat menghancurkan kapal musuh pakai torpedo nuklir dari kedalaman Samudra Atlantik. Arkhipov was a Soviet hero, and an unsung hero to other nations as well. Thats just scratching the surface. The captain and the political officer were in favor of firing. 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. It seemed like youre sitting in an iron barrel and someone is hitting it with a sledgehammer Vadim Orlov, who was on B-59 as an intelligence officer, recalled later. That gave the commander of the submarine task force, Vasili Arkhipov, who was behind him, the chance to countermand the order. Had he assented to the decision to fire a nuclear torpedo, likely vaporizing a US aircraft carrier and killing thousands of sailors, it would have been far more difficult for Kennedy and Khrushchev to step back from the brink. 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. The National Security Archive is committed to digital accessibility. The Cuban missile crisis was over. Arkhipov knew that the other three submarines had agreed to launch their own nuclear weapons if B-59 did, and that nuclear mutual destruction with America was imminent. 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. [9] Arkhipov eventually persuaded Savitsky to surface and await orders from Moscow. It was aired 23 October 2012 on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.[27]. I worry when I see news about the arms race escalating. Collection of photos of Brigade Chief of Staff on B-59 Vasili Arkhipov, 'The Man Who Saved the World', from the personal archive of his widow Olga Arkhipova. 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. For a brief, pivotal moment, Arkhipov's presence of mind was all that would stand between humanity's existence and its annihilation. 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. I f you . My mother always protected him with her love. Already at 19 years of age Vasili Arkhipov was fighting in the war against Japan. With Cuba a mere 90 miles from the U.S. mainland, missiles launched from there would be able to strike most of the eastern United States within a matter of minutes. Fleet chief of staff Vasili Arkhipov was aboard B-59. In the conning tower were the Captain Valentin Savitsky and Vasili Arkhipov, of equal rank, but crucially, also the Flotilla Commander. Arkhipov argued against launching the torpedo stating they should await orders from Moscow. While politici. [23], The character of Captain Mikhail Polenin, portrayed by Liam Neeson, in the 2002 film K-19: The Widowmaker was closely based on Arkhipov's tenure on Soviet submarine K-19. Vasili saw his first military action as a minesweeper in the Pacific Theater at the tail end of World War II. In 1961, he became deputy commander of the new Hotel-class missile submarine K-19. 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. Why was Nazi Field Marshal Paulus on the Soviet payroll, Tough love: How street children were treated in the Soviet Union, The reluctant hero: How a Soviet officer single-handedly prevented WWIII, 'He was a bad shooter': Lee Harvey Oswalds life in the USSR. Knowledge is power or so they say. Had Vasili Arkhipov not been there to prevent the torpedo launch, historians agree that nuclear war would likely have begun. The only true freedom any of us have is in our t The submarine surfaced and, satisfied that all-out war had not actually been taking place above, turned around and went on its way. a report from the US National Security Archive. 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. That included its captain, Valentin Savitsky, who according to a report from the US National Security Archive, exclaimed: Were gonna blast them now! 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. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov and Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov were two Soviet soldiers, members of the armed forces. Six decades ago, the Cuban missile crisis brought the world to the very brink of nuclear holocaust. My father was the conscience of our homeland. Since I shifted to Android, I set aside my DSLR camera and started advocating on mobile photography. So yes, I do worry just like practically all of the other inhabitants of our planet! This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. No one knew that he had been commissioned, not even my mother. He had previously experienced very hard times. Soviet submarine B-59, in the Caribbean near Cuba. The detonation of this weapon formed a huge plume of radioactive water from its detonation force of some 4.8 kilotonnes. Easy. One of the American spy plane images photographs missile sites in Cuba that helped instigate the crisis. 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. And its officers had permission from their superiors to launch it without confirmation from Moscow. In this same interview, Olga alludes to her husband's possible superstitious beliefs as well . War was just a step away. "[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. But he may well be, as FLI president Max Tegmark said at the award ceremony, arguably the most important person in modern history.. The long-range radio had also been disabled during another incident, rendering the sub unable to contact its HQ in Moscow. Now, 55 years after he averted nuclear war and 19 years after his death, Arkhipov is to be honoured, with his family the first recipients of a new award. Two of the vessels senior officers including the captain, Valentin Savitsky wanted to launch the missile. 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. Vazsily Arkhipov in his Vice Admiral uniform. Only years later did other officers reveal what went on in those few frightening moments. Broicherdorfstrae 53 According to her, he enjoyed searching for newspapers during their vacations and tried to stay up-to-date with the modern world as much as possible. He always thought that he did what he had to do and never considered his actions as heroism. george washington niversitesi ulusal gvenlik arivi yneticisi thomas s. blanton'un aklad belgelere gre, o subayn ad . However the order for a launch needed 3 approvals and Arkhipov refused. The Americans wouldnt find out until decades later that the submarine had been carrying a nuclear missile. They had received an order from Soviet leadership to stop in the Caribbean short of the American blockade around Cuba. 75, October 31 Wikimedia CommonsOne of the American spy plane images photographs missile sites in Cuba that helped instigate the crisis. Elena Andriukova: I wish for peace, mutual understanding and friendship between nations for myself and for people worldwide. This incident saw several crew members, along with Arkhipov, exposed to radiation. Vasili Arkhipov, who died in 1998. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (Russian: , 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. Off the coast of Cuba, 11 American destroyers and an aircraft carrier had surrounded one of the submarines, B-59. Speaking to Tegmark, Arkhipovs daughter Elena Andriukova said the family were grateful for the prize, and its recognition of Arkhipovs actions. But Arkhipovs actions still deserve special praise. [1] For his actions in 1962, he has been . Thomas Blanton, former director of the National Security Archive, said, 'This guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world.''. The Soviets and their fellow communist allies in Cuba had secretly reached a deal to place those missiles on the island in July. Ich bin ausdrcklich damit einverstanden Pressemitteilungen zu erhalten und wei, dass ich mich jederzeit wieder abmelden kann. American warships that had heard the subs desperate short-range distress calls came to the area and offered assistance. [7][8] The captain of the submarine, Valentin Grigoryevich Savitsky, decided that a war might already have started and wanted to launch a nuclear torpedo. In accordance with our guiding principle Sign for Peace and Security! we want to take a stand on the issue of protecting and strengthening peace, security and stability. In 2006, former President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, nominated the whole crew of K-19 for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear disaster. Such an attack likely would have caused a major global thermonuclear response, destroying large parts of the Northern Hemisphere.[1]. A senior officer of a Soviet submarine who averted the outbreak of nuclear conflict during the cold war is to be honoured with a new prize, 55 years to the day after his heroic actions averted global catastrophe. This required the men to work in high radiation levels for extended periods. They include difficulty of securing accurate intelligence, and the unpredictability of events. It was posthumous Arkhipov died in 1998, before the news of his actions was widely known. After a typical public-school education, Arkhipov enrolled in the Pacific Higher Naval School - a facility that . As flotilla commander and second-in-command of the diesel powered submarine B-59, Arkhipov refused to . Only Vasili Arkhipov, Chief of Staff of the 69th Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, hesitated, before taking probably the most difficult and momentous decision of his life: On October 27, 1962, he refused to press the red button, thereby preventing a nuclear chain reaction leading to all-out nuclear war. 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. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (Russian: , IPA: [vsilj lksandrvt arxipf], 30 January 1926 - 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Navy officer. Setiap lu nonton film atau anime tertentu, pasti ada salah satu tokoh yang memiliki peran yang amat krusial dalam cerita, seperti naruto yang menghentikan perang dunia ninja ke-4 dalam serial Naruto Shippuden, Mikasa yang menghentikan rumbling titan Eren dalam serial Attack on Titan, dan Tony . in the Soviet Union. Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about whats happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. And we should celebrate those, like Vasili Arkhipov, who in moments of existential decision, choose life rather than extinction. The depth charges were exploding closer and closer. 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. 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. 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. Only after his return did my father tell my mother where he had been, but without giving any details. 1 TMG: Sven Lilienstrm THE STORY OF AN IMPORTANT INCIDENT IN HUMAN HISTORY. According to Orlov, Captain Savitsky was ready to strike, and so was the zampolit (political officer). Cut off from outside contact, buffeted by depth charges, its air conditioning broken, and temperatures and carbon dioxide levels rising in the sub, the most obvious conclusion for the officers of B-59 was that global war had already begun. It was fall and it was cold. 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. Today three sailors fainted from overheating again The regeneration of air works poorly, the carbon dioxide content [is] rising, and the electric power reserves are dropping. [2] After a few days of conducting exercises off the south-east coast of Greenland, the submarine developed an extreme leak in its reactor coolant system. He is known for casting the single vote that prevented a Soviet nuclear strike (and, presumably, all-out nuclear war) during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 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. 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. But, unknown to the US forces, they had a special weapon in their arsenal: a ten kilotonne nuclear torpedo. Such an attack likely would have caused a major global thermonuclear response. Most people today may not know the name Vasili Arkhipov. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. Fifty-nine years ago, a senior Russian submarine officer, Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov, refused to fire a nuclear torpedo at an American aircraft carrier and likely prevented a third world war and nuclear destruction. That money should be used to improve peoples lives. Vasili Arkhipov, a senior officer on a Soviet submarine, refused to launch a nuclear torpedo in October 1962 perhaps preventing WWIII 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. He could have died there. CPAC used to be a barometer. [11] It surfaced amid the US warships pursuing it and made contact with a US destroyer. Arkhipov was born into a peasant family in the town of Staraya Kupavna, near Moscow. - in Amazing Humans. Born in 1926, Arkhipov saw action as a minesweeper during the Soviet-Japanese war in August 1945. As flotilla commander and second-in . They then dove deep to conceal their presence after being spotted by the . Vasili Arkhipov is arguably the most important person in modern history, thanks to whom October 27, 2017 isn't the 55th anniversary of WWIII. This presentation is the only known public statement by Vasily Arkhipov about the events on submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. E-Mail: info@faces-of-peace.org In 1947, he graduated from the Caspian . Vasily Sergeyevich Arkhipov (Russian: ; 29 December [O.S. All members of the engineer crew and their divisional officer died within a month due to the high levels of radiation they were exposed to. February 18, 2023. Initiative Gesichter des Friedens | Faces of Peace Whats more, the officers had permission to launch it without waiting for approval from Moscow. When detected, Americans were horrified to find that their key cities could be taken out in a Soviet first-strike attack. Difficult. Elena Andriukova: To those people who consider my father a coward I want to say: You havent experienced what he had to go through. Those who are free from their shifts, are sitting immobile, staring at one spot. She was his lifelong guardian angel! Kirov Naval Academy (National Naval Academy, Baku) website, downloaded in 2014, National Security Archive Vasili Arkhipov. Vasili Arkhipov (72), Chief of Staff of the 69th Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet | Private. A special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands, as well as invites to exclusive events and the Bookazine delivered directly to their door. Google Pay. In 2002, Thomas S. Blanton, then director of the U.S. National Security Archive, credited Arkhipov as "the man who saved the world". Vasili Arkhipov was aboard the B-59 Soviet submarine when an American destroyer, the USS Beale began to drop depth charges. Click here to find out more. However, in one interview Orlov gave Arkhipov a great deal of credit for talking Savitsky down. My fathers decision to save the lives of his detachment and to ensure world peace is a sign of his strength, not his weakness! Aptly, the U.S. National Security Archive has dubbed Arkhipov a man who " saved the world.". As second-in-command of a nuclear-armed submarine during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Arkhipov blocked the captain's decision to launch a nuclear torpedo against the US Navy, likely averting a large-scale nuclear war.Reflecting on this incident forty years later, Thomas Blanton, director of the . You can spend some hours googling them, and get all the details of their stories which I shall narrate in short. The US ships began dropping depth charges around the sub. Schreiben Sie uns hier sicher und mit automatischer Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlsselung. 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. In 1962, Soviet submarine officer Vasili Arkhipov refused to launch a nuclear torpedo, averting a potential WWIII. Circa Oct. 28-29, 1962. Radio communications were also affected, and the crew was unable to make contact with Moscow. After that, he spent two years in the Caspian Higher Naval School and went on to do submarine service on vessels from the Soviet Navys Black Sea, Baltic, and Northern Sea fleets. While accounts differ about what went on on board the B-59, it is clear that Arkhipov and the crew operated under conditions of extreme tension and physical hardship. During exercises in the North Atlantic, the K-19 suffered a major leak in its reactor coolant system. And the subsequent similar actions (there were 12 overflights altogether) were not as worrisome any longer. But Vasili Arkhipov said no. 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. Nevertheless, my mother wondered why she had been brought his jacket. 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). To receive the latest in style, watches, cars and luxury news, plus receive great offers from the worlds greatest brands every Friday. 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. In 2002, during a conference dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis, intelligence officer Vadim Orlov revealed details of those events, including how close the world came to a nuclear holocaust and Arkhipovs role in preventing it. But the sub had a weapon at its disposal that US officers didnt know about: a 10-kiloton nuclear torpedo. Vasili Aleksandrovit Arhipov (ven. ) (30. tammikuuta 1926 Moskovan alue - 19. elokuuta 1998 Moskovan alue) oli venlinen Neuvostoliiton laivaston sukellusveneupseeri, arvoltaan vara-amiraali.Arhipov osallistui nuoresta istn huolimatta toiseen maailmansotaan ja palveli muun muassa K-19-sukellusveneell. On October 13, 2002, on the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the director of the National Security Archive . newsletter, Hailey Bieber, Selena Gomez, and the Easter egg-ification of the Hollywood feud, The Supreme Court signals that a terrifying attack on voting rights will vanish for now, Brad Pitt was the only winner of the Aniston-Jolie tabloid battle. How, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, a Soviet submarine fleet commander and K-19 survivor, Vasili Arkhipov, kept his cool under enormous pressure and prevented his men from starting WWIII after being surrounded by the US fleet. Or take the war against Japan in 1945. During the Cuban Missile Crisis a false alarm of nuclear war almost made a Soviet nuclear submarine near the U.S launch it's nukes. His political officer agreed, and both reached for their keys. Dr Jonathan Colman, an expert on the Cuban missile crisis at the University of Central Lancashire, agreed that the award was fitting. He showed the same level of composure off the coast of Cuba a . They had a daughter named Yelena. B-59 hadnt received that message as they were too deep to pick up radio signals. Those on board did not know whether war had broken out or not. But Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov was, in the words of a top American, the guy who saved the world.. Whatever reasons the Soviets and Cubans had, the Americans now needed to deal with this tremendous perceived threat to their national security. Born in 1926, Arkhipov saw action as a minesweeper during the Soviet-Japanese war in August 1945. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 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 . So much money has already been spent on armaments. Soviet Naval officer Vasili Arkhipov, 34, was one of the three commanders aboard the B-59 submarine near Cuba on Oct. 27. President John F. Kennedy ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Cuba, and Nikita Khrushchev reacted by sending four diesel-powered Foxtrot submarines, each equipped with a nuclear torpedo, to Cubas waters. 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 all out nuclear war) during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Many others became ill including my father. "[18], In 2002, retired commander Vadim Pavlovich Orlov, a participant in the events, held a press conference revealing the submarines were armed with nuclear torpedoes and that Arkhipov was the reason those weapons had not been fired. Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov (Russian: ) was a Soviet Navy officer who is credited with averting nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 by preventing the launch of a nuclear-armed torpedo from the Soviet submarine on which he served. During the Cuban Missile Crisis 58 years ago the world was facing nuclear war. Deeply impressed, Thomas Blanton, director of the U.S. National Security Archive, said: The lesson from this is that a guy called Vasily Arkhipov saved the world. The conference participants agreed, but no one would ever hear Arkhipovs viewpoint.

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