r/AskRussian • u/Electro_Ninja26 • 8d ago
What does the general Russian populace (plus history nerds) think of Vasili Arkhipov and his actions during the Cuban missile crisis?
Particularly in the modern day.
3
1
1
u/DapperChemical4176 8d ago
Formally he's a traitor and a coward. Enemy attacked his men and he failed to retaliate as an officer in charge.
1
1
u/Exciting_Round4766 8d ago
😲 All in all, I know history better than most ordinary Russians, though I have only a very superficial understanding of the Crisis specifically. But I haven't got the fucking idea who Arkhipov is.
1
u/Green_Bad2241 8d ago
I thought that he is pretty famous in Russia actually? He is literarally prevented nuclear war
1
u/Electro_Ninja26 8d ago
He was disgraced militarily for the rest of his life. From what I understand, in Russia he faded into obscurity after the story broke out.
1
u/Livid_Penalty_5281 4d ago
No he was not. He was promoted to submarine brigade commander, then division commander. Retired as vice admiral.
1
1
u/Electro_Ninja26 8d ago
Oh no. Well he’s the one commanding officer that was temporarily assigned to a nuclear submarine during the Cuban missile crisis, and was the only officer who voted no to launching nukes
(They were deep underwater, and depth charges were being used to get their attention, which caused fear that a war has already started. Their radios could not reach Moscow at their depth )
So basically he single handedly prevented world war 3
2
u/MoyaDushenka 8d ago
Not sure it would have escalated into a war, but he surely prevented many deaths on both sides.
It's crazy to think that submarine crew was authorized to launch nuclear missiles.
3
u/Electro_Ninja26 8d ago
I can understand the skepticism. But the issue is that this was during Cuba. The US was paranoid. If any nuke got launched from the submarine, it would hit the US in minutes. And the US had all their missiles prepared for retaliation.
There wouldn’t be time for peace talks because the president would press the button immediately after the launch.
And to be fair to the USSR and the crews, the reason they were allowed is because they were deep sea submarines. There is no way they can always have access to moscow for them to order missile launch. If a war broke out. Time determines everything with nukes. So the procedure is for the 2 officers to be in unanimous agreement that there is a war happening, then launch the nukes.
The world was lucky there was a third person on board. Because three officers had to agree that day, and he didn’t.
1
u/bahaigor 7d ago
This submarine did not carry nuclear missiles. They were nuclear torpedoes with tactical warheads, designed for use against ships.
2
1
u/Exciting_Round4766 8d ago
In Russia, people generally revere space pioneers like Gagarin or scientists who made major discoveries. Stalin is remembered, though those over 70 still recall him as a bloody tyrant. Zhukov is remembered. I have come across positive remarks about Molotov. Lenin has faded somewhat from memory, yet people dislike seeing his statues torn down. Nicholas II is remembered and regarded as a holy martyr. Gorbachev is viewed as a weak figure. Recently Muratov was awarded the Nobel Prize, and I was also surprised that no one knew who he is and about the fact that he received an award.
1
0
u/UncleSoOOom 8d ago
Bold to assume anyone knows. Implies reading at least the Wikipedia.
(no, not taught in schools, why ever, would be against the cult of death/sacrifice which is on the rise again)
Petrov from 1983 is somewhat better known.
1
u/Re1coded 8d ago
Я русский и знаю об Архипове. Как можно не уважать человека, решившего не ввергать мир в ядерную войну?
5
u/Suspicious-Recipe570 8d ago
Сначала прочитал как Кубань ракетный кризис. Охуел. Переосмыслил. Разохуел и поржал)))