Journalists for Human Rights is thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to our supporters this holiday season: two limited-edition photographs of Andrei Sakharov and Mikhail Gorbachev, taken by renowned photographer Yuri Rost. These rare pieces of history were generously donated to JHR by Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov during his visit to Toronto as the keynote speaker at our 2024 Night for Rights gala.
As a token of our appreciation for your ongoing support, we are entering donors who contribute over $1,000 to our holiday campaign into a special giveaway. Haven’t donated yet? There’s still time! Your donation before the end of the year will not only support our mission but also earn you valuable tax credits for every dollar you give.
In today’s Russia, photographer and journalist Yuri Rost (b. Kiev, 1939) is seen as a symbol of the dissident press that helped bring down the Soviet regime in 1991. As a critical columnist for Komsomolskaya Pravda and other publications, as well as the host of his own current affairs program, Rost was a major advocate for glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), the reforms championed by Mikhail Gorbachev. His ideas on passive resistance and the importance of human values were deeply influenced by Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989), a leading Soviet dissident and close friend of Rost.
Portrait of Andrei Sakhonav by Yuri Rost
Andrei Sakharov, the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975 for his outspoken opposition to government abuse and his work advocating for human rights.
He displayed his exceptional talents in theoretical physics from a young age, earning his doctorate in 1945. From 1948, under Nobel laureate Igor Tamm’s supervision, he contributed to the development of the Soviet hydrogen bomb.
Sakharov was patriotic, and believed it was important to break the American monopoly on nuclear weapons. But from the late 1950s on, he issued warnings against the consequences of the arms race, and in the 1960s and 1970s he voiced sharp criticism of the system of Soviet society, which in his opinion departed from fundamental human rights.
Portrait of Mikhail Gorbachev by Yuri Rost
Mikhail Gorbachev, the final leader of the Soviet Union, served from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. His leadership is often credited with ending the Cold War and easing tensions between the East and West, particularly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. In recognition of his role in these historic changes, Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
Born during Stalin’s regime and experiencing World War II firsthand, Gorbachev grew increasingly critical of the inefficiencies of the Soviet system, especially after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Upon becoming leader, he introduced glasnost and perestroika, reforms aimed at liberalizing Soviet society and fostering improved relations with the West. His declaration that the Soviet Union would not support oppressive regimes in Eastern Europe led to a wave of democratic revolutions and ultimately the end of communism in the region.
By donating to our holiday campaign, you are not only supporting the vital work of JHR but also becoming part of this significant legacy of change. Don’t miss your chance to win these extraordinary photographs and make a lasting impact on the future of human rights and press freedom worldwide.
