As 2021 is the centennial of Andrei Sakharov’s birth, most of our activities have been centered on commemorative events around the world including scientific conferences, new publications, concerts, and films.

A Brief History

The Andrei Sakharov Foundation (USA), a not-for-profit Delaware corporation closely related to several organizations in the United States and Russia, is dedicated to the preservation of the memory of Andrei Sakharov, the promotion of his ideas, and the defense of human rights.

The Sakharov Foundation (Russia) /Public Commission was established shortly after his death on December 14, 1989. The Andrei Sakharov Foundation (USA) followed in 1990 in order to support the Russian Commission.

The dedication of the Sakharov Archives in Moscow was held on May 21, 1994, the 73rd anniversary of Sakharov's birth. The Archives are located in an apartment given to the Andrei Sakharov Foundation (Russia) by the Moscow City Council. The Archive contains thousands of documents pertaining to Sakharov's life and activities, as well as materials on the history of the human rights movement in the USSR.

In September 1995, the city of Moscow presented the Andrei Sakharov Foundation (Russia) an elegant two-story building located in a park across the street from the Sakharov Archives. Elena Bonner, Sakharov's widow and chair of the Andrei Sakharov Foundation, dedicated the building as The Andrei Sakharov Museum and Community Center for the Russian human rights movement on May 21, 1996, the 75th anniversary of his birth. The visible and vibrant museum and community center is dedicated to peace, progress, and human rights. It serves as a vital rallying point for Russian liberals and will help preserve Sakharov's dream of an open society.

In the United States, The Andrei Sakharov Archives and Center at Harvard University opened in 1993, providing an institutional base for research and education in the history of the Soviet Union, on the current situation in Russia, and on human rights topics.

In May 1991, the Sakharov Foundations sponsored a major congress in Moscow, the First International Sakharov Congress, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Sakharov's birth. A series of workshops were conducted on the safety of Russian nuclear reactors and a second series on the problems and prospects of establishing the rule of law in Russia. The Andrei Sakharov Foundations have sponsored missions to Nagorno-Karabakh and to Ingushetia to facilitate peaceful settlement of ethnic conflicts. In collaboration with Professor Richard Wilson of Harvard University, the Sakharov Foundations have helped to create the International Sakharov Environmental University (Minsk, Belarus). The Sakharov Foundations have also assisted the resettlement of refugees in the successor states of the former Soviet Union, sponsored the first visit of Kirgizstan's President Askar Akaev to the United States, and defended the rights of scientists persecuted for their political opinions.

Until her death in 2011, Elena Bonner served as chair of The Andrei Sakharov Foundation (USA) as well as of the Moscow Foundation, thereby insuring the coordination of their activities. The composition of the ASF board can be seen here. INSERT LINK.