Elena Bonner | Elena Bonner’s father and uncle were executed while her mother and aunt were exiled to labor camps during Stalin’s Great Purge. She subsequently became active in the Soviet human rights movement, eventually marrying fellow activist Andrei Sakharov in 1972. When Sakharov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975, Bonner traveled to Oslo to represent him as he was restricted from leaving his country. She continued as his lifeline to the outside world into the 1980’s until she too was arrested and exiled in 1984. After her husband’s death in 1989, Bonner continued their work by writing multiple books, including an account of their struggles: Alone Together: The Story of Elena Bonner and Andrei Sakharov's Internal Exile in the Soviet Union. She also promotes the protection of human rights at conferences and political events around the world. Her dedication won her the prestigious Rafto prize in 1991. An outspoken critic of the Chechen War and of Vladimir Putin’s increasing authoritarianism, she continues to remain highly active and visible today even as she approaches her 85th birthday.
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