Many people know of an avenue in central Moscow called “Prospect of Academician Sakharov.” The avenue, named after Andrei Sakharov soon after his death, served as a gathering place of opposition demonstrations on multiple occasions and remains a sore in the eye of certain types of Russian patriots, who periodically demand to remain the street, asserting that the famous scientist was a traitor for criticising the human rights’ abuse in his country.
Another avenue, named after Sakharov, is perhaps a little less well known. Yet, it is a massive thoroughfare, with three car lanes, bike paths and sidewalks in both directions. It is located in Ekaterinburg, one of the largest Russian cities and the regional center in the Ural region. The avenue, which received its name to mark the 90th anniversary since Sakharov’s birth in 2011, is in the middle of a burgeoning Academic district of the city where a number of adjacent streets are named after prominent scientists, and in one case, a local well-known writer, in another, a local well-known surgeon.
