Georgy Arbatov
Encyclopedia
Georgy Arkadevich Arbatov (Russian Гео́ргий Арка́дьевич Арба́тов) (19 May 1923 – 1 October 2010) was a Soviet and Russian political scientist who served as an adviser to five General Secretaries of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
and was best known in the West during the Cold War
era as a representative for the policies of the Soviet Union
in the United States
, where his fluent English helped make him a frequent guest on American television. He was the founding Director and later Emeritus Director of the Institute of USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISKRAN), the Soviet and Russian think tank for the study of USA and Canada.
, Arkadi Arbatov, who was part of several Soviet trade missions in the 1930s. Arbatov fought in the Red Army
during World War II
, taking part in the Revolution Day parade on Red Square
on 7 November 1941 and heading from there to the front lines. Arbatov finished the war as chief of staff of the 17th Guards mortar regiment and was awarded the Order of the Red Star
in 1943.
While recuperating from tuberculosis
in 1944, Arbatov was in a hospital and read an item in a newspaper report stating that a state institute of international relations was being created in Moscow. He applied to attend the school and graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1949, he was awarded a Ph.D. from the same institute in 1954. He worked as a journalist and commentator on foreign affairs between 1953 and 1963 at Kommunist
and the English language publication The New Times
.
Arbatov became the face of the Soviet Union
in the West, where he used his strong, though heavily accented, command of the English language to help foster ties with American officials and to present Soviet views to the American public, sparring on American television with such individuals as General Bernard Rogers
, the former commander of NATO regarding the military deterrent in Western Europe to Soviet forces. Billy Graham
, who had called Communism "satanic", said that he had "met a very wonderful official here" after spending three hours together during Graham's 1982 visit to Moscow. Arbatov expressed sharp criticism of the Reagan administration, saying that it conducted a "campaign of demonization, of dehumanization of the other side", remarks that led to difficulties for Arbatov in obtaining visas to enter the United States during that period.
In his 1992 autobiography "The System: An Insider's Life in Soviet Politics", Arbatov credited himself as one of those individuals who had worked to implement reform "from the inside, and not from the outside, of the system" that laid the groundwork for the reforms implemented in the 1980s by Mikhail Gorbachev
. Sergey Rogov
, who succeeded him as director of the Institute for U.S.A. and Canada Studies called Arbatov someone who "was probably willing more than anybody else to stick his neck out" to mitigate the influence of anti-American hard liners in the Soviet regime, though "he knew pretty well what were the red lines that he could not cross publicly, and he was very cautious about it". Arbatov recognized that the Soviet Union had lost the Cold War, but insisted that the United States had suffered too by losing "The Enemy", a main adversary consisting of one country on which to concentrate efforts.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
, Arbatov was an adviser to the State Duma
and a member of the foreign policy council of the foreign Ministry Russian Federation between 1991 and 1996. Arbatov was a critic of the economic reforms implemented by Boris Yeltsin
, saying that they placed too much economic and political power in the hands of an unelected few at the expense of the middle class in Russia. He also was a critic of Vladimir Putin
's efforts to suppress the democratic movement in Russia.
Arbatov was a participant in the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
, an Order of the October Revolution
, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour
and other medals.
Arbatov died at age 87 on 1 October 2010 in Moscow due to cancer. He was survived by his wife, Svetlana, as well as by his son Aleksei, who also become involved with arms control issues.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
and was best known in the West during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era as a representative for the policies of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where his fluent English helped make him a frequent guest on American television. He was the founding Director and later Emeritus Director of the Institute of USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISKRAN), the Soviet and Russian think tank for the study of USA and Canada.
Early career
Arbatov was born the son of a prominent BolshevikBolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
, Arkadi Arbatov, who was part of several Soviet trade missions in the 1930s. Arbatov fought in the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, taking part in the Revolution Day parade on Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
on 7 November 1941 and heading from there to the front lines. Arbatov finished the war as chief of staff of the 17th Guards mortar regiment and was awarded the Order of the Red Star
Order of the Red Star
Established on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the...
in 1943.
While recuperating from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1944, Arbatov was in a hospital and read an item in a newspaper report stating that a state institute of international relations was being created in Moscow. He applied to attend the school and graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1949, he was awarded a Ph.D. from the same institute in 1954. He worked as a journalist and commentator on foreign affairs between 1953 and 1963 at Kommunist
Kommunist
Kommunist was a Soviet newspaper. It was the official theoretical and political organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.-External links:*...
and the English language publication The New Times
The New Times (Russia)
The New Times, or Novoye Vremya , is a Russian language magazine in Russia established in 1943 in the Soviet Union. It is a small, liberal, independent Russian weekly news magazine, publishing for Russia and Armenia. During the Soviet times it followed the official line...
.
Political scientist
Arbatov worked at the institute of global economics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1963-64. He was founder director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies (ISKRAN) from 1965 to 1995. He was appointed director emeritus of the ISKRAN in 1995. He was appointed adviser to the Central Committee of the CPSU on US matters in 1964-67. He was elected to the Central Committee in 1990 and served in the Supreme Soviet. As an adviser to five General Secretaries of the Communist Party, Arbatov was a frequent participant in arms control negotiations conducted between the US and USSR. According to the CIA, Arbatov was an intermediary between the Politburo and the KGB.Arbatov became the face of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the West, where he used his strong, though heavily accented, command of the English language to help foster ties with American officials and to present Soviet views to the American public, sparring on American television with such individuals as General Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers was an American composer.Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloch, Percy Goetschius, and Nadia Boulanger. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Hartt School, and the Eastman School of Music...
, the former commander of NATO regarding the military deterrent in Western Europe to Soviet forces. Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, who had called Communism "satanic", said that he had "met a very wonderful official here" after spending three hours together during Graham's 1982 visit to Moscow. Arbatov expressed sharp criticism of the Reagan administration, saying that it conducted a "campaign of demonization, of dehumanization of the other side", remarks that led to difficulties for Arbatov in obtaining visas to enter the United States during that period.
In his 1992 autobiography "The System: An Insider's Life in Soviet Politics", Arbatov credited himself as one of those individuals who had worked to implement reform "from the inside, and not from the outside, of the system" that laid the groundwork for the reforms implemented in the 1980s by Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
. Sergey Rogov
Sergey Rogov
Sergey Rogov is a Russian political scientist, academician, Director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies since 1995.-References:...
, who succeeded him as director of the Institute for U.S.A. and Canada Studies called Arbatov someone who "was probably willing more than anybody else to stick his neck out" to mitigate the influence of anti-American hard liners in the Soviet regime, though "he knew pretty well what were the red lines that he could not cross publicly, and he was very cautious about it". Arbatov recognized that the Soviet Union had lost the Cold War, but insisted that the United States had suffered too by losing "The Enemy", a main adversary consisting of one country on which to concentrate efforts.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, Arbatov was an adviser to the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
and a member of the foreign policy council of the foreign Ministry Russian Federation between 1991 and 1996. Arbatov was a critic of the economic reforms implemented by Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, saying that they placed too much economic and political power in the hands of an unelected few at the expense of the middle class in Russia. He also was a critic of Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's efforts to suppress the democratic movement in Russia.
Arbatov was a participant in the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is an international organization that brings together scholars and public figures to work toward reducing the danger of armed conflict and to seek solutions to global security threats...
Personal life and recognition
Arbatov was awarded two Orders of LeninOrder of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
, an Order of the October Revolution
Order of the October Revolution
The Order of the October Revolution was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was awarded to individuals or groups for services furthering communism or the state, or in enhancing the defenses of the Soviet Union, military and civil...
, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour
Order of the Red Banner of Labour
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour was an order of the Soviet Union for accomplishments in labour and civil service. It is the labour counterpart of the military Order of the Red Banner. A few institutions and factories, being the pride of Soviet Union, also received the order.-History:The Red...
and other medals.
Arbatov died at age 87 on 1 October 2010 in Moscow due to cancer. He was survived by his wife, Svetlana, as well as by his son Aleksei, who also become involved with arms control issues.
Published work
Arbatov was the author of over 100 published works:- Идеологическая борьба в современных международных отношениях. Доктрина, методы и организация внешнеполитической пропаганды империализма, Moscow 1970; (Ideological conflict in Modern International Relations, Doctrine, Methods and Organisation of the Foreign Policy Propaganda of Imperialism).
- Глобальная стратегия США в условиях научно-технической революции (The Global strategy of the USA in Conditions of the Scientific/ Technical Revolution), Moscow 1979
- (with Willem L. Oltmans): Der sowjetische Standpunkt. Über die Westpolitik der UDSSR, München 1981 (ISBN 3-8077-0165-6)
- Свидетельство современника (Testimony of a Contemporary Man), Moscow 1991; published in English as The System. An Insiders Life in Soviet Politics. N.Y., 1992
- Затянувшееся выздоровление (1953-1985 гг.), Moscow 1991 (ISBN 5-7133-0385-3) (A Prolonged Recovery),
- Общественная наука и политика (Social Sciences and Politics), Moscow 1998
- Повестка дня российско-американских отношений (An Agenda for Russo-American Relations), Moscow 1999
- Человек Системы (A Man of the System), Moscow 2002
- Детство. Отрочество. Война: Автобиография на фоне исторических событий (Childhood, Adolescence, War: an Autobiography with a background of historical events), Moscow2007