The Man Who Narrowly Averted Nuclear War

January 21, 2025 | Ethan Vestby

The Man Who Narrowly Averted Nuclear War


Who Is The Man Who Prevented America And The Soviet Union From Ending Everything?

The world almost potentially ended on a fateful day in October of 1962. One man is credited with saving the day through decisive action. Do you know his name?

That Man’s Name Was Vasily Arkhipov

An officer in the Soviet Navy from the 1940s until the late 1980s, Vasily Arkhipov is perhaps the most important serviceman their armed forces ever saw. 

Portrait of Vasili Arkhipov Olga Arkhipova, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

That Man’s Name Was Vasily Arkhipov

His accomplishments harken back to the Cold War, which may seem like distant history to some, but it was certainly an influential moment in the 20th century, and we’re still living with the ramifications of it. 

Soviet B-59 SubmarineU.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons

The Nuclear Stockpile Being Used Was A Genuine Worry

Everything changed forever in 1945 when America dropped the newly developed nuclear bomb on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan under the justification of ending the six-year global conflict. 

Hiroshima After The Bomb Maarten Heerlien, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Nuclear Stockpile Being Used Was A Genuine Worry

A nuclear arms buildup developed between political rivals America and the Soviet Union after 1945. People lived in fear throughout the 1950s and 60s, and these tensions were building to a boil. After all, it could mean the world's end if either side decided to strike. 

Marines Driving Soviet Mt-Lb As Opfor During Kernel Blitz '97Paul Self, Wikimedia Commons

His Actions Were Against The Backdrop Of The Cuban Missile Crisis

For 13 days in October of 1962, there seemed a genuine possibility that people’s worst fears would come true, as it was well known to the United States that the Soviet Union had been building up their blockade of nuclear weapons in Cuba. 

Missile Silo Of A Ss-24 Missile Michael, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

His Actions Were Against The Backdrop Of The Cuban Missile Crisis

As a result of these tensions, multiple Soviet submarines were deployed in international waters to monitor the United States’ military activity. 

Soviet Oscar Class SubmarineUnknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons

He Was Born To A Peasant Family Near Moscow

Arkhipov was a man of modest origins, born into a peasant family in the decade after the Russian Revolution. 

Village houses in Russia.Dmitry Makeev, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Was Born To A Peasant Family Near Moscow

He was specifically born in Staraya Kupavna, near Moscow. He was not a well-connected young man but a loyal communist and committed moralist, which served him well in later experiences. 

Holy Trinity Сhurch (Staraya Kupavna) Nickolas Titkov, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Fought In The Soviet-Japanese Conflict As A 19-Year Old

Arkhipov’s first combat experience was in the Soviet-Japanese conflict of August 1945, during the tail-end of World War II.

Soldiers of the Red Armylrytas.lt, Wikimedia Commons

He Fought In The Soviet-Japanese Conflict As A 19-Year Old

As a very young man during his first time at war, he served aboard a Soviet minesweeper ship. Two years later, he graduated from naval school. 

Popov On Minesweeper shipUnited States Navy, Wikimedia Commons

Two Separate Submarine Missions Defined His Career

Arkhipov served on two separate submarine missions in the early 1960s, which involved more drama than most people endure in a lifetime.

Soviet Submarine S-54 In 1942Darryl L. Baker., Wikimedia Commons

Two Separate Submarine Missions Defined His Career

These two were the K-19 submarine incident of 1961, which saw a Soviet crew have to work together to avoid nuclear meltdown, and the B-59 mission of 1962, which was a pivotal moment in human history

Soviet K-19 submarineUS Navy, Wikimedia Commons

He Wasn’t The Commanding Officer On Either Mission

Arkhipov wasn’t actually the captain of either submarine; rather, he served as the deputy commander, which, while high-up, still required him to report to the ship’s captains. But even though he wasn’t entrusted with commanding a submarine, he would later prove that he had the moral character to do so. 

Russian nuclear submarineMil.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Suffered From Irradiation On The K-19

The mission aboard the K-19 turned into a disaster when the vessel sprang a leak. Having to tend to the broken coolant system on the submarine was essential, as doing otherwise could lead to a nuclear meltdown. This led to a variety of men having to risk radiation exposure to perform the task. 

Inside a K-19 submarineFalk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Suffered From Irradiation On The K-19

Arkhipov was one of those men who took the risk. He suffered from irradiation in the process, as did many of the other crew members. Every member of the engineering crew passed away within the next month, but he did not. His bravery was evident in this mission. 

Inside the K-24 submarine Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

His Next Great Submarine Mission Would Be The Most Pivotal In History

Television coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis from 1962 made Americans think of missiles being pointed on the ground, but a whole other part of the conflict was brewing underwater. 

The Cuban Missile CrisisDon O'Brien, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

His Next Great Submarine Mission Would Be The Most Pivotal In History

Serving as second-in-command on the diesel-electric B-59 submarine, Arkhipov’s mission was to help serve the Soviets in anticipation of America striking Cuba.

USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835) and a Martin SP-5B MarlinU.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons

American Forces Had Arkhipov’s Submarine In Their Sights

Things did not look good for the B-59, as American forces were soon aware of its presence in the Caribbean, deciding to actively pursue it and other Soviet submarines.

F-6A Skyray Of Vmf(Aw)-115 At Guantanamo Bay 1963U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons

American Forces Had Arkhipov’s Submarine In Their Sights

American forces were making their signal clear to the crew of the B-59 by setting off numerous explosions, basically demanding they surrender. 

Lemay Cuban Missile CrisisCecil Stoughton, Wikimedia Commons

The Fate Of The World Came Down To A Radio

Having to submerge deeper into waters to evade American forces, the B-59 submarine eventually could not pick up radio signals, which were integral to receiving orders from Soviet higher-ups as to their next moves.

 Inside the Submarine K-24Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Fate Of The World Came Down To A Radio 

With no functioning radio signals on the ship, the men aboard the submarine were unaware of what was going on in the world, including the activity of the United States. For all they knew, nukes may have been fired above the surface. 

Inside the K-24 submarineFalk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

It Came Down To Him To Veto Military Action 

Having to give into speculation in regards to the state of the conflict, the commanding officer aboard the submarine, Captain Savitsky, pushed for launching a nuclear torpedo, just flatly assuming that war had broken out on the surface of the world. 

USS The Sullivans (DD-537) underway at seaNaval History & Heritage Command, Wikimedia Commons

It Came Down To Him To Veto Military Action 

Launching a nuclear strike required the unanimous decision of three men aboard the B-59: Captain Savitsky, Political Officer Ivan Semyonovich Maslennikov, and Arkhipov. With just one vote against the strike, Arkhipov successfully overrode the two other men out of pressing fire. 

Latin American-United States Quarantine Task Force Leaves Trinidad On 12 November 1962U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons

The Soviets And The Americans Spoke After

Even after Arkhipov pulled off a miracle, the situation on the B-59 submarine was very dire. The battery was running low and the air conditioning was dead. Surrender was inevitable

Mike Class KomsomoletsUnknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons

The Soviets And The Americans Spoke After

The submarine soon surfaced, and the crew had to open themselves up to interrogation from the American Navy forces. They were let free and eventually, Soviet forces caught wind of what happened and demanded they be sent home. 

Korean Air Lines Flight 007 - Soviet WatercraftPH2 Paul Soutar, Wikimedia Commons

Soviet Forces Were Not Happy With The Actions Of The B-59

Despite Arkhipov’s bravery in preventing a potential nuclear holocaust, the actions aboard the B-59 were the source of much anger from Soviet forces, with one admiral flat-out admitting he wished the crew had perished. 

Soviet army truck on a paradeVyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons

Soviet Forces Were Not Happy With The Actions Of The B-59

The reason for the anger from higher-ups was that the submarine had to surface and reveal itself to American forces directly after, breaking the strict rules of secrecy within the Soviet Navy. 

US army generals watching overUnknown Artist, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

He Continued His Service And Was Promoted

Despite anger from commanding forces, Arkhipov continued his service in the Soviet Navy, even being promoted to Rear Admiral in 1975.

Hero of the Soviet Union Igor ChmurovRIA Novosti archive, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Continued His Service And Was Promoted

The promotions continued, and he reached the position of Vice Admiral in 1981. He later retired in 1988. 

nuclear-powered missile submarine OrelMil.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Was Notably Humble

Whatever historical documentation there is of Arkhipov, it notes what a soft-spoken and humble man he was, not at all the kind of braggart who often succeeded in the armed forces. 

Soviet soldiers in a truckDupont66, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Was Notably Humble

His calm personality likely played a role in saving the world on that fateful day in October of 1962, being able to talk down two men willing to start a nuclear conflict. 

U-461 (A False One) Submarinet.przechlewski, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Could Finally Rest

Despite many of his fellow crew members swiftly dying of radiation poisoning after the K-19 mission, Arkhipov lived for multiple decades after, until finally succumbing to kidney failure in 1998 at the age of 72. 

J20 540 rocket podFalk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Man Who Saved The World

Arkhipov’s legacy was secured around 2002 when Thomas S Blanton, director of the US National Security Archive, declared that Arkhipov was “the man who saved the world”.

EXCOMM meeting, Cuban Missile CrisisCecil Stoughton, Wikimedia Commons

The Man Who Saved The World

This statement meant a lot because it came from the security forces of the former Soviet Union’s greatest enemy, the United States. 

USS Albacore (AGSS-569) submarineNaval History & Heritage Command, Wikimedia Commons

He Was Dramatized In A Movie

Liam Neeson portrayed a character based on Arkhipov in the 2002 drama K-19 The Widowmaker. The character’s name was changed to Mikhail Polenin for the film. 

Screenshot from the movie K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)First Light Production, K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

There Was Also A PBS Documentary

K-19 The Widowmaker wasn’t the only film to feature Ahrkhipov. The bluntly titled 2012 PBS documentary The Man Who Saved The World also provided a cinematic telling of his story. 

Screenshot from the documentary The Man Who Saved the World (2014)Statement Film, The Man Who Saved the World (2014)

There Was Also A PBS Documentary

The documentary was issued as part of a series centered around the 50th anniversary of The Cuban Missile Crisis. 

John F Kennedy public speechPixabay, Picryl

He Posthumously Received An Award 

The non-profit organization Future of Life Institute gave Arkhipov a posthumous award in 2017 for acting selflessly to protect the human race. 

Placard For The Future Of Life Institute At The United NationsArtificialintelligence459, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

He Posthumously Received An Award

Awarded decades after his passing, it was collected by his descendants, ensuring that his legacy lived on. 

Vasily Arkhipov's tombstoneUnknown Artist, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons


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