Samantha Smith | |
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 Smith visiting theArtekpioneer camp in 1983 | |
| Born | Samantha Reed Smith (1972-06-29)June 29, 1972 Houlton, Maine, US |
| Died | August 25, 1985(1985-08-25) (aged 13) Auburn, Maine, US |
| Cause of death | Airplane crash |
| Resting place | Ashes buried at Estabrook Cemetery,Amity, Maine |
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| Years active | 1982–1985 |
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Samantha Reed Smith (June 29, 1972 – August 25, 1985) was an Americanpeace activist and child actress fromManchester, Maine, who became famous for her anti-war outreaches during theCold War between the United States and theSoviet Union. In 1982, Smith wrote a letter to the newly appointedGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,Yuri Andropov, and received a personal reply with an invitation to visit the Soviet Union, which she accepted.
Smith attracted extensive media attention in both countries as a "Goodwill Ambassador", becoming known asAmerica's Youngest Ambassador and subsequently participating inpeacemaking activities in Japan.[2] With the assistance of her father, Arthur (an academic), she wrote a book titledJourney to the Soviet Union, which chronicled her visit to the country. She later became a child actress, hosting a child-oriented special on the1984 United States presidential election forThe Disney Channel and playing a co-starring role in the television seriesLime Street. Smith died at the age of 13 in 1985, onboardBar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808, which crashed short of the runway on final approach to theAuburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport in Maine.
WhenYuri Andropov succeededLeonid Brezhnev asleader of the Soviet Union in November 1982, the mainstreamWestern newspapers and magazines ran numerous front-page photographs and articles about him. Most coverage was negative and tended to give a perception of a new threat to the stability of the Western World. Andropov had been the Soviet Ambassador to Hungary during the1956 Hungarian Revolution, which was put down by theSoviet Army, and the Chairman of theKGB from 1967 to 1982; during his tenure, he was known in the West forcrushing the Prague Spring and the brutal suppression of dissidents, such asAndrei Sakharov andAleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He began his tenure as Soviet leader by strengthening the powers of theKGB, and by suppressing dissidents.[3] According toVasili Mitrokhin, Andropov saw the struggle for human rights as a part of a wide-ranging imperialist plot to undermine the foundation of the Soviet state.[4] Much international tension surrounded both Soviet and American efforts to develop weapons capable of being launched from satellites in orbit. Both governments had extensive research and development programs to develop such technology. However, both nations were coming under increasing pressure to disband the project. In the United States, PresidentRonald Reagan came under pressure from a lobby of US scientists and arms experts, while in the Soviet Union the government issued a statement that read, "To prevent the militarization of space is one of the most urgent tasks facing mankind".[5]
At the time, largeanti-nuclear protests were taking place across both Europe and North America, in the midst of which the November 20, 1983, screening ofABC'spost-nuclear war dramatizationThe Day After became one of the most anticipated media events of the decade.[6]
The twosuperpowers had by this point abandoned their strategy ofdétente and in response to the deployment of the Soviet Union's newSS-20, NATO deployedcruise andPershing II missiles in Europe. The 1979–1989Soviet–Afghan War was also into its third year. In this atmosphere, on November 22, 1982,Time magazine published an issue with Andropov on the cover. When Smith viewed the edition, she asked her mother: "If people are so afraid of him, why doesn't someone write a letter asking whether he wants to have a war or not?" Her mother replied, "Why don't you?"[7]
Samantha Smith was born on June 29, 1972, in the small town ofHoulton, Maine, on theCanada–United States border, to Jane Goshorn[8] and Arthur Smith. At the age of five, she wrote a letter toQueen Elizabeth II (whosereign's silver jubilee fell in 1977) in order to express her admiration to theBritish monarch. When Smith had finished second grade in spring 1980, the family settled inManchester, Maine, where she attended Manchester Elementary School. Her father served as an instructor atRicker College in Houlton[9] before teaching literature and writing at theUniversity of Maine at Augusta[5] while her mother worked as asocial worker with the Maine Department of Human Services.[10]
In November 1982, when Smith was 10 years old, she wrote to Soviet leaderYuri Andropov, seeking to understand whySoviet Union–United States relations were so tense:
Dear Mr. Andropov,
My name is Samantha Smith. I am 10 years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United Statesgetting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren't please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like it if you would. Why do you want to conquer the world or at least our country?God made the world for us to share and take care of. Not to fight over or have one group of people own it all. Please lets do what he wanted and have everybody be happy too.
Samantha Smith[11]
Her letter was published in the Soviet state-run newspaperPravda.[12] Smith was happy to discover that her letter had been published; however, she had not received a reply. She then sent a letter to Soviet ambassador to the United StatesAnatoly Dobrynin asking if Andropov intended to respond.[13] On April 26, 1983, she received a response from Andropov:
Dear Samantha,
I received your letter, which is like many others that have reached me recently from your country and from other countries around the world.
It seems to me—I can tell by your letter—that you are a courageous and honest girl, resemblingBecky, the friend ofTom Sawyer in the famous book of your compatriotMark Twain. This book is well known and loved in our country by all boys and girls.
You write that you are anxious about whether there will be a nuclear war between our two countries. And you ask are we doing anything so that war will not break out.
Your question is the most important of those that every thinking man can pose. I will reply to you seriously and honestly.
Yes, Samantha, we in the Soviet Union are trying to do everything so that there will not be war on Earth. This is what every Soviet man wants. This is what the great founder of our state,Vladimir Lenin, taught us.
Soviet people well know what a terrible thing war is. Forty-two years ago,Nazi Germany, which strove for supremacy over the whole world,attacked our country, burned and destroyed many thousands of our towns and villages, killedmillions of Soviet men, women and children.
Inthat war, which ended with our victory,we were in alliance with the United States: together we fought for the liberation of many people from the Nazi invaders. I hope that you know about this from your history lessons in school. And today we want very much to live in peace, to trade and cooperate with all our neighbors on this earth—with those far away and those near by. And certainly with such a great country as the United States of America.
In America and in our country there are nuclear weapons—terrible weapons that can kill millions of people in an instant. But we do not want them to be ever used. That's precisely why the Soviet Union solemnly declared throughout the entire world thatnever will it use nuclear weapons first against any country. In general we propose to discontinue further production of them and to proceed to theabolition of all the stockpiles on Earth.
It seems to me that this is a sufficient answer to your second question: 'Why do you want to wage war against the whole world or at least the United States?' We want nothing of the kind. No one in our country–neither workers, peasants, writers nor doctors, neither grown-ups nor children, nor members of the government–want either a big or 'little' war.
We want peace—there is something that we are occupied with: growing wheat, building and inventing, writing books andflying into space. We want peace for ourselves and for all peoples of the planet. For our children and for you, Samantha.
I invite you, if your parents will let you, to come to our country, the best time being this summer. You will find out about our country, meet with your contemporaries, visit an international children's camp—Artek—on the sea. And see for yourself: in the Soviet Union, everyone is for peace and friendship among peoples.
Thank you for your letter. I wish you all the best in your young life.
Amedia circus ensued, with Smith being interviewed byTed Koppel[16] andJohnny Carson, among others, and with nightly reports by the major American networks. On July 7, 1983, she flew to Moscow with her parents, and spent two weeks as Andropov's guest. During the trip she visitedMoscow andLeningrad and spent time inArtek, the main Sovietpioneer camp, in the town ofGurzuf on theCrimean Peninsula. Smith wrote in her book that in Leningrad she and her parents were amazed by the friendliness of the people and by the presents many people made for them.[citation needed] Speaking at a Moscow press conference, she declared that the Russians were "just like us".[17] In Artek, Smith chose to stay with the Soviet children rather than accept the privileged accommodations offered to her.[18] For ease of communication, teachers and children who spoke fluent English were chosen to stay in the building where she was lodged.[19] Smith shared a dormitory with nine other girls, and spent her time there swimming,[20] talking and learning Russian songs and dances. While there, she made many friends, including Natasha Kashirina from Leningrad, a fluent English speaker.[21][18]
Samantha spontaneously participated in the documentary filmThe Capital of Childhood, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Artek.[21] Together with Natasha, she performed the song "May There Always Be Sunshine!". Cinematographer Nikolai Zherekhov recalled: "An ordinary child, she was no different from our boys and girls, maybe she was more liberated, our guys were a little restrained at first. I remember her extraordinary, kind, sunny, lively and sincere smile, there was no stardom in it."[18]
Andropov, however, was unable to meet with her during her visit,[22] although they did speak by telephone. It was later discovered that Andropov had become seriously ill and had withdrawn from the public eye during this time.[23][20] Smith also met with Russian cosmonautValentina Tereshkova, the first woman to orbit the Earth,[24][20] and visited an experimental fruit station in Malen'koe village.[21] Media followed her every step—photographs and articles about her were published by the main Soviet newspapers and magazines throughout her trip and after it. Smith became widely known to Soviet citizens and was well regarded by many of them. In the United States, the event drew suspicion and some regarded it as an "American-stylepublic relations stunt".[25]
Smith's return to the US on July 22, 1983, was celebrated by the people ofMaine with roses, a red carpet, and a limousine[26] and her popularity continued to grow in her native country. Some critics at the time remained skeptical, believing Smith was unwittingly serving as an instrument ofSoviet propaganda.[26][27] In December 1983, continuing in her role as "America's Youngest Ambassador", she was invited to Japan,[28] where she met with the Prime MinisterYasuhiro Nakasone and attended the Children's International Symposium inKobe. In her speech at the symposium, she suggested that Soviet and American leaders exchange granddaughters for two weeks every year, arguing that a president "wouldn't want to send a bomb to a country his granddaughter would be visiting".[29] Her trip inspired other exchanges of child goodwill ambassadors,[30] including a visit by the eleven-year-old Russian childKatya Lycheva to the United States.[31] Later, Smith wrote a book calledJourney to the Soviet Union[32] whose cover shows her at Artek,[33] her favorite part of the Soviet trip.[34]
Smith pursued her role as a media celebrity when in 1984, billed as a "Special Correspondent", she hosted a children's special forThe Disney Channel entitledSamantha Smith Goes To Washington... Campaign '84.[35][36] The show covered politics, where Smith interviewed several candidates for the1984 Democratic Party presidential primaries, includingGeorge McGovern,John Glenn andJesse Jackson. That same year, she guest starred inCharles in Charge as Kim, alongside another celebrity guest star,Julianne McNamara. Her fame resulted in Smith becoming the subject ofstalkerRobert John Bardo, the man who would later go on to stalk and ultimately murderMy Sister Sam actressRebecca Schaeffer. Bardo traveled to Maine in an attempt to meet Smith; however, he aborted his attempt when being given a citation by police. Concerned that he was drawing too much attention to himself, Bardo returned home. He later confessed to finding new ways to stalk Smith, but her later death terminated his master plan.[37]
In 1985, she played the co-starring role of the elder daughter toRobert Wagner's character in the television seriesLime Street.[38][39]
On August 25, 1985, Smith and her father were returning home aboardBar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 after filming a segment forLime Street. While attempting to land atLewiston-Auburn Regional Airport inAuburn, Maine, theBeechcraft 99 commuter plane struck some trees 4,007 feet (1,221 m) short of the runway and crashed, killing all six passengers and two crew on board.[40] Much speculation regarding the cause of the accident circulated afterwards. Accusations of foul play circulated widely in the Soviet Union.[41] A CIA report written in 1985 reads: "Although no direct allegations of foul play have appeared in the Soviet media, people from ordinary citizens to intellectuals seem to believe that Samantha was silenced so that she could not continue her efforts to build goodwill toward the Soviet Union".[42][43] An investigation was undertaken in the United States and the official report—which did not show evidence of foul play—was made public. The report said the plane crashed one mile (1.6 km) south-west of the airport at 22:05EDT, and concluded that "the relatively steep flight path angle and theattitude (the orientation of the aircraft relative to the horizon, direction of motion etc.) and speed of the airplane at ground impact precluded the occupants from surviving the accident".[44] The report also went on to say that it was a rainy night, that the pilots operating the aircraft were inexperienced, and an accidental, but not uncommon and not usually critical, groundradar failure occurred.[45]
About 1,000 people attended Smith's funeral inAugusta, Maine, and she waseulogized in Moscow as a champion of peace. Attendees includedRobert Wagner and Vladimir Kulagin of the Soviet Embassy inWashington, D.C., who read a personal message of condolence fromMikhail Gorbachev.[46]
Everyone in the Soviet Union who has known Samantha Smith will forever remember the image of the American girl who, like millions of Soviet young men and women, dreamt about peace, and about friendship between the peoples of the United States and the Soviet Union.[47]
PresidentRonald Reagan sent his condolences to Smith's mother, in writing:
Perhaps you can take some measure of comfort in the knowledge that millions of Americans, indeed millions of people, share the burdens of your grief. They also will cherish and remember Samantha, her smile, heridealism and unaffected sweetness of spirit.[48]
The remains of Samantha and her father were cremated,[49] and their ashes were buried at Estabrook Cemetery,Amity, Maine.[50]
Smith's contributions have been honored with a number of tributes by Russians and by the people of her home state of Maine. A monument to her was built in Moscow; "Samantha Smith Alley" in the Artek Young Pioneer camp was named after her in 1986.[51] The monument built to Smith was stolen bymetal thieves in 2003 following thedissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2003,Voronezh retiree Valentin Vaulin built a monument to her after raising funds from private donations.[52] The Soviet Union issued acommemorative stamp with her likeness. In 1986, Russian astronomerLyudmila Chernykh discoveredasteroid 3147, which she named3147 Samantha.[53][54] Danish composerPer Nørgård wrote his 1985 viola concerto "Remembering Child" in memory of Smith.[55] Adiamond found in Siberia,[56] a mountain in the former Soviet Union,[57] acultivar oftulips and ofdahlias, and anocean vessel have been named in Smith's honor.[2] In 1985, a peace garden was established in Michigan along theSt. Clair River to commemorate her achievements.[58] In Maine, the first Monday in June of each year is officially designated as Samantha Smith Day bystate law.[59] There is a bronze statue of Smith near the Maine State Museum in Augusta, which portrays Smith releasing adove with a bear cub resting at her feet.[60] The bear cub represents both Maine and Russia. There are streets named after Samantha Smith in the settlements ofBuryatia and theBryansk region (Russia), as well as inKazakhstan.[18] Elementary schools inSammamish, Washington,[61] and inJamaica, Queens,New York City,[62] have been named after Samantha. In October 1985, Smith's mother founded The Samantha Smith Foundation,[63] which fostered student exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union (and, after December 1991, the ex-Soviet successor states) until it became dormant in the mid-1990s.[27] The Foundation was formally dissolved in 2014 after two decades of dormancy.[64]
A 1987 episode of the US sitcomThe Golden Girls entitled "Letter to Gorbachev" draws inspiration from Smith's story. In addition, the 1987 filmSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace included a scene where a boy writes Superman a letter to control thenuclear arms race; according toChristopher Reeve, this scene was also inspired by Smith's story.[65]
In the mid-1980s, after Smith's death, a script was written for atelevision movie titledThe Samantha Smith Story withRobert Wagner as producer.[66]Columbia Pictures Television and R. J. Wagner Productions were reported to have agreed to produce the film forNBC, with Soviet company Sovin Film interested in co-producing it.[67] Ultimately, Columbia Pictures Television decided not to film it due to lack of interest from any network.[68]
Speculation as to what a surviving Samantha might have done in adulthood was dismissed by her mother Jane as unanswerable in 2003, given Samantha was only thirteen when she died and her ambitions had varied from aveterinarian to aballerina.[69] The notion, which had been put to Samantha herself in the eighties, that she could bePresident of the United States in adulthood, was dismissed by her in the Disney Channel special that she hosted, with the words "being President is not a job I would like to have".[36]
In 2008, Smith posthumously received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for "helping to bring about better understanding between the peoples of the [USA and the USSR], and as a result, reduce the tension between the superpowers that were poised to engage in nuclear war".[70] The Peace Abbey has also proposed The Peace Literature Project in Honor of Samantha Smith "to educate students about peace and promote peace literature for school-age children in 50 selected pilot schools across the United States".[33]
Elliott Holt's 2013 novelYou Are One of Them, uses the story of Smith as inspiration for a fictional character, Jennifer Jones.[71]
On the 30th anniversary of the plane crash in 2015, theMaine State Museum opened a new exhibit of materials related to Smith, including photographs of her time at the Artek camp, traditional Russian clothing she was given, and an issue ofSoviet Life magazine with her on the cover.[72]
Pioneer shift No. 7 at Artek—from June 20 to July 11—is called "Samantha's Smile". During this shift, the center "becomes a Young Diplomacy School, each camp turns into a kind of peacekeeping corps." There is also a "Samantha's Place" in the Artek Museum.[18]
In July 2023, a bronze monument to Samantha Smith was unveiled in Artek.[73] The inscription is stamped on the pedestal: "May There Always Be Sunshine".[74]
A 2025 theatrical production calledSpaceBridge, produced by Irina Kruzhilina at theLa MaMa Theatre in New York City, tells a story of Samantha Smith, as an imagined adult, guiding stories told by real-life refugee children.[75]
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