Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, born December 11, 1918, died today (August 3, 2008) of a stroke. He was 89 years old.
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, Solzhenitsyn made the world aware of the Soviet labour camp system (Gulag). Though he was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974, he returned to Russia in 1994.
Solzhenitsyn, having studied mathematics and philosophy, wrote and spoke about the society in which he lived. While in exile, he gave many speeches regarding the Soviet state, the West, and the wars of culture and weapons both were pursuing. He actively supported peace.
His many writings include:
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962; novel)
An Incident at Krechetovka Station (1963; novella)
Matryona's Place (1963; novella)
For the Good of the Cause (1964; novella)
The First Circle (1968; novel)
The Cancer Ward (1968; novel)
The Love-Girl and the Innocent (1969; play), aka The Prisoner and the Camp Hooker or The Tenderfoot and the Tart.
The Gulag Archipelago (three volumes) (1973-1978)
Prussian Nights (Finished in 1951, first published in 1974; poetry)
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Comments: 6
Thanks for the information Debra
In life, he spoke out -- and in a way that ironically points to David K.'s Abraham Lincoln quote for today, "Avoid popularity if you would have peace." (by the way, David is doing a great job with this quote series -- give it a visit). Much of Solzhenitsyn's life was hard ... but he has contributed greatly to our peace.