«Ves Mir Publishers» releases Selected Works of Roland M. Timerbaev

MAY 30, 2023. MOSCOW. PIR PRESS. “I would like to thank PIR Center for the great work on the systematization of the works of Roland M. Timerbaev, which led to the appearance of this publication! It will be a very informative and useful book for a wide range of readers.” – Vladimir Rybachenkov, member of PIR Center Advisory Board, retired adviser to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

PIR Center announces the release of selected works of the outstanding Soviet diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR and then Russia Roland M. Timerbaev (1927-2019) in Ves’ Mir Publishing house.

Roland Mikhailovich was one of PIR Center’s closest and most reliable companions. He worked with us for 25 years, being first President of  PIR Center (1994-1998), then Chairman of the Executive Board (1999-2010) and until the end of his days a member of Advisory Board. For us, this book is a tribute to the memory of the Teacher, his creative and diplomatic legacy, his works, which even today amaze with their perspicacity, sensitivity, thoroughness of analysis, and speak of the independence and freedom of the author’s views.

His Anthology includes articles, excerpts from monographs, as well as fragments from the personal diaries of Ambassador Timerbaev and his memoirs “Old Days Stories. Memories of negotiations on nonproliferation and disarmament and much more”, previously published within PIR Library Series. They tell about the origin and evolution of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear arms control regimes from the moment of the creation of the atomic bomb to the present day. Ambassador Timerbaev was a participant in a number of negotiations in these areas as part of the Soviet delegation, therefore, along with unique historical facts, the author generously and openly shares his thoughts on a number of topical issues in the field of global security, including the most important ones – how humanity can avoid nuclear war and whether a world without nuclear weapons is possible. The contents of the book can be found at the link.

The book was published with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation within the project “Oral History of Nuclear Nonproliferation”. An International Commission on the Creative and Scientific legacy of Roland Timerbaev was created to work on the book.

A pilot presentation of the book was held at MGIMO University on May 17, 2023 for students of the course “Actual problems of nonproliferation”. Some of the first readers of the book – MGIMO graduate students – have already submitted their reviews on the book:

Mikhail Alexandrov (a first-year MGIMO master’s student): “The Anthology by Roland M. Timerbaev is a complex and multifaceted analysis, a description of a whole range of problems related to the issue of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, and also touches on more philosophical topics, such as the degree of influence of nuclear weapons on the modern civilization, and it was very interesting to get acquainted with his conclusions. It seems that this publication will be a real find for the widest range of readers: from students interested in the topic of nonproliferation to major experts on this issue”.

Grant Beglaryan (a first-year MGIMO Master’s student): “As a student of Dr. Ildar Akhtamzyan and Dr. Vladimir Orlov, who is interested in nonproliferation issues, I cannot but welcome the work on systematization of the archive of documents and personal records of Roland M. Timerbaev, which has been conducted by PIR Center in recent years. Oral History is an important and necessary project that allows you to see behind a number of famous surnames of living people with their views, reflections and experiences, to look at Timerbaev not only through his thoughts about the prospect of creating a nuclear–weapon free zone in the Middle East, but also through photos with friends, a letter to his son, various messages to future generations. Preserving the memory of outstanding people who stood at the origins of the modern security architecture is useful and necessary in itself, and the unfolding crisis of this architecture, fortunately or unfortunately, only gives relevance to such publications as this Anthology, makes us read more closely into the thoughts and warnings of the Soviet generation of nonproliferation theorists”.

Vsevolod Sviridov (a first-year MGIMO Master’s student): “An excellent publication for those who want to delve into such a broad and extensive topic as nuclear nonproliferation, improve their competence, as well as “get to know better” the activities and personality of such a person as Roland Timerbaev!”

It should be noted that earlier in PIR Center, the Anthology of  Roland Timerbaev’s colleague, a Soviet and Russian diplomat and intelligence officer Lieutenant General Gennady M. Evstafiev was published. The book launch of the both anthologies will take place on June 4, on the margins of the XXII International School on Global Security. Participation by invitation.

E12/ZUB – 05/23

Key words: Oral history

NPR/HIS