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Alexander Solzhenitsyn dies at 89 Alexander Solzhenitsyn dies at 89
(10 minutes later)
Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who exposed Stalin's prison system in his novels and spent 20 years in exile, has died near Moscow at the age of 89.Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who exposed Stalin's prison system in his novels and spent 20 years in exile, has died near Moscow at the age of 89.
The author of The Gulag Archipelago and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, who returned to Russia in 1994, died of either a stroke or heart failure.The author of The Gulag Archipelago and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, who returned to Russia in 1994, died of either a stroke or heart failure.
The Nobel laureate had suffered from high blood pressure in recent years.The Nobel laureate had suffered from high blood pressure in recent years.
After returning to Russia, Solzhenitsyn wrote several polemics on Russian history and identity.After returning to Russia, Solzhenitsyn wrote several polemics on Russian history and identity.
He was one of the first to talk about the inhumane Stalinist regime and about the people who experienced it but were not broken Mikhail GorbachevFormer Soviet leader In quotes: Leaders reactHe was one of the first to talk about the inhumane Stalinist regime and about the people who experienced it but were not broken Mikhail GorbachevFormer Soviet leader In quotes: Leaders react
His son Stepan was quoted by one Russian news agency as saying his father died of heart failure, while another agency quoted literary sources as saying he had suffered a stroke.His son Stepan was quoted by one Russian news agency as saying his father died of heart failure, while another agency quoted literary sources as saying he had suffered a stroke.
He died in his home in the Moscow area, where he had lived with his wife Natalya, at 2345 local time (1945 GMT) on Sunday, Stepan told Itar-Tass.He died in his home in the Moscow area, where he had lived with his wife Natalya, at 2345 local time (1945 GMT) on Sunday, Stepan told Itar-Tass.
Mrs Solzhenitsyn told Moscow Echo radio her husband lived "a difficult but happy life".Mrs Solzhenitsyn told Moscow Echo radio her husband lived "a difficult but happy life".
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent his condolences to the writer's family, a Kremlin spokesperson said.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent his condolences to the writer's family, a Kremlin spokesperson said.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforms led to the end of communism in the country, said Solzhenitsyn played a key role in undermining Stalin's totalitarian regime.Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforms led to the end of communism in the country, said Solzhenitsyn played a key role in undermining Stalin's totalitarian regime.
His works "changed the consciousness of millions of people", Mr Gorbachev said.His works "changed the consciousness of millions of people", Mr Gorbachev said.
Prisoner, patient, writerPrisoner, patient, writer
Solzhenitsyn served as a Soviet artillery officer in World War II and was decorated for his courage but in 1945 was denounced for criticising Stalin in a letter.Solzhenitsyn served as a Soviet artillery officer in World War II and was decorated for his courage but in 1945 was denounced for criticising Stalin in a letter.
ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN Born: 11 December 19181945: sentenced to eight years for anti-Soviet activities1962: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich published in Russia1970: Awarded Nobel Prize for Literature1974: First volume of The Gulag Archipelago published13 February 1974: Exiled from his native Russia1994: Returns to Russia3 August 2008: dies in Moscow ObituarySend us your commentsALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN Born: 11 December 19181945: sentenced to eight years for anti-Soviet activities1962: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich published in Russia1970: Awarded Nobel Prize for Literature1974: First volume of The Gulag Archipelago published13 February 1974: Exiled from his native Russia1994: Returns to Russia3 August 2008: dies in Moscow ObituarySend us your comments
He spent the next eight years in the Soviet prison system, or Gulag, before being internally exiled to Kazakhstan, where he was successfully treated for stomach cancer.He spent the next eight years in the Soviet prison system, or Gulag, before being internally exiled to Kazakhstan, where he was successfully treated for stomach cancer.
Publication in 1962 of the novella Denisovich, an account of a day in a Gulag prisoner's life, made him a celebrity during the post-Stalin political thaw.Publication in 1962 of the novella Denisovich, an account of a day in a Gulag prisoner's life, made him a celebrity during the post-Stalin political thaw.
However, within a decade, the writer awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize for Literature was out of favour again for his work, and was being harassed by the KGB secret police.However, within a decade, the writer awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize for Literature was out of favour again for his work, and was being harassed by the KGB secret police.
In 1973, the first of the three volumes of Archipelago, a detailed account of the systematic Soviet abuses from 1918 to 1956 in the vast network of its prison and labour camps, was published in the West.In 1973, the first of the three volumes of Archipelago, a detailed account of the systematic Soviet abuses from 1918 to 1956 in the vast network of its prison and labour camps, was published in the West.
Its publication sparked a furious backlash in the Soviet press, which denounced him as a traitor.Its publication sparked a furious backlash in the Soviet press, which denounced him as a traitor.
Early in 1974, the Soviet authorities stripped him of his citizenship and expelled him from the country.Early in 1974, the Soviet authorities stripped him of his citizenship and expelled him from the country.
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A look at the life of Alexander SolzhenitsynA look at the life of Alexander Solzhenitsyn
He settled in Vermont, in the US, where he completed the other two volumes of Archipelago.He settled in Vermont, in the US, where he completed the other two volumes of Archipelago.
While living there as a recluse, he railed against what he saw as the moral corruption of the West.While living there as a recluse, he railed against what he saw as the moral corruption of the West.
Scathing of Boris Yeltsin's brand of democracy, he did not return to Russia immediately upon the collapse of the USSR in 1992, unlike other exiles.Scathing of Boris Yeltsin's brand of democracy, he did not return to Russia immediately upon the collapse of the USSR in 1992, unlike other exiles.
It is time, in the West, to defend not so much human rights as human obligations Alexander Solzhenitsyn In his own wordsIt is time, in the West, to defend not so much human rights as human obligations Alexander Solzhenitsyn In his own words
His homecoming in 1994 was a dramatic affair as he travelled in slowly by land from the Russian Far East.His homecoming in 1994 was a dramatic affair as he travelled in slowly by land from the Russian Far East.
Years later he was embraced by then-Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presented him with Russia's State Prize.Years later he was embraced by then-Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presented him with Russia's State Prize.
There was significant irony in the fierce critic of Soviet repression being hailed by a former senior officer of the KGB, says the BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow.There was significant irony in the fierce critic of Soviet repression being hailed by a former senior officer of the KGB, says the BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow.
Mr Putin described Solzhenitsyn's death as a "heavy loss for Russia".Mr Putin described Solzhenitsyn's death as a "heavy loss for Russia".
Solzhenitsyn's latter works, which included essays on Russia's future, stirred controversy.Solzhenitsyn's latter works, which included essays on Russia's future, stirred controversy.
In 2000, his last major work Two Hundred Years Together examined the position of Jews in Russian society and their role in the Revolution.In 2000, his last major work Two Hundred Years Together examined the position of Jews in Russian society and their role in the Revolution.
BBC News website readers have been giving their reaction to the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Here are a selection of your comments:
I was very close friends with Mr.Solzhenitsyn's stepson Dmitri Turin (who passed away in 1994). I grew up in the small town of Cavendish, Vermont where "Solhzi" (as the locals used to call him)spent many years of his exile. He was our most famous resident and a very nice man. Quiet and secretive, but always polite and friendly to the locals. Many of us took it upon ourselves to help to protect the privacy of our celebrated guests by sending curious gawkers searching for a peek at him in exactly the opposite direction of the Solzhenitsyn home. Worked every time. My condolences go out to the Solzhenitsyn family. The world has lost one of its great writers. G. Scott Bemis, Chester, Vermont. USA
My wife and I were college students in the Soviet Union in 1980. The works of Solzhenitsyn were strictly forbidden at that time. We borrowed an illegal copy of the 'Archipelago' from a friend for a very limited time, and spent the next several nights gulping it down as a person dying of thirst would. Solzhenitsyn opened our eyes. I recall this being both painful and exhilarating experience that can be compared only to walking out of a dark and stuffy room into terribly cold, but bright and sunny Russian winter morning. Although over the years we found ourselves disagreeing with some of the later writing of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, that moment will always stay with me in its frozen-in-time brilliance. Hats off to the brave sole from two of us who both lost family members to the monstrosity of Soviet political repressions. Konstantin Tadenev, Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA
I took a course on Solzhenitsyn at my university and his work was astonishing. One of the most amazing things about him, I feel, is that he wrote his work in his head while he was in the gulag. Prisoners weren't allowed paper and pens, so he memorized his novels and wrote them after his release. Megan, Burlington, VT USA
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was the single book which showed me the power of literature to change the world. I read it at age 18 in 1973, and it has coloured my thinking ever since. Philip Larmett, Kiev, Ukraine
Excellent life with a permanent struggle not against but for his people in his famous writings. A real and indeed patriot of his motherland. Sergei Zababonov, Moscow, Russia
Abslolutely tragic news. AS a 15/16? year old in Liverpool,reading Gulag and One Day had the most profound influence in my life. Probably the first time my mind awakened to any form of world affairs. A superb author and chronicler of a society we knew little of. I probably spent the next 10 to fifteen years telling everybody including my children to read these books. Joe Sweeney, Manchester England
I read the 'Gulag Archipelago', and then 'The First Circle' while I was growing up. They had an enormous effect on me, and are a major touchstone in my opposition to the use of torture and so-called "coercive interrogation" techniques by the US today. Solzhenitsyn speaks eloquently of the use of sleep deprivation by the Soviet authorities to extort false confessions; he also warns us that no one is willing to consider sleep deprivation torture. "They didn't let you *sleep*? Well, after all, this is not a *vacation resort*. -- 'Gulag Archipelago', volume I, chapter 3 "The Interrogation."Amy, Spartanburg, SC, USA
What incredibly sad news, Solzhenitsyn meant the world to me - he was a literary colossus who revealed to the world the true horrors of Stalinist and pre-Stalinist Russia. He was the greatest living writer and inspired me, and countless others, to take up the pen and walk with small feet in his giant footsteps. He will be missed greatly but his incredible work will live on forever. Nick Holland, Barnsley, England
It's a great loss. His works were one of the most inspiring I've ever read. Full of hope in humanity, filled with poetry naturally compromised with a prose, always looking for freedom and treating all human beings so individually. One of the greatest writers of our times passed away. Goodbye. Konrad, Warsaw/Sheffield
The 'Gulag Archipelago' was one of the seminal works of my early reading. It had a profound effect on view of stalinist Russia. I love history and this work helped me understand a very complicated and massive time in the worlds past. I will remember it fondly.Guy Morris, Newcastle Under Lyme
The greatest writer of 20 century is dead. NO man in the world did more for the truth and humanity in last 100 years. His work changed everything .All lies from eastern and western historians, SOLZHENTSYN alone put to dust. Hristo Ignatov, London, UK
During the time when I was learning Russian - I went to a Russian Club somewhere in central London. We were learning about TAMIZDAT and SAMIZDAT. During one such meeting - we were amazed to be addressed by Alexander Solzhenitsyn himself. It was during the time when he first came to the UK - prior to going to live in the USA. I recorded his address on a 6" Reel to Reel tape recorder, which promptly went out of fashion and I never heard the recording thereafter or transcribed what he said? Which was my intention at the time. I am almost certain that this tape still exists? But where - is another question. I later heard that he had returned to Russia (from the Vladivostok side of the Country and that later had returned from there to live in or near Moscow. Since then I have heard little of him or his continued works as an Author. He impressed me immensely, with his simple clarity of spoken Russian, which I still try to keep extant - with difficulty - today. His written works - in his language are far too complex for my command of his language! Though I have read both the 'Gulag Archipelago' and 'A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich' in English and still have copies at home. An amazing man and sad loss for the literary world. Peter Westwell, Shrewsbury UK
Solzhenitsyn's writing captivated me at a young age. I first read One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich around age 14, and realized that he had extraordinary talent and social insight. I was inspired to do a project on his writings about the GULAG system in high school, and grew to love his ability to describe scenes and emotions in a way that resonated with me and millions of other people. I live in Vermont, not far from where Solzhenitsyn lived during his time in the United States, and I value greatly the impact that his life and writing have had on my experience of the world. I hope that other writers, Russian and otherwise, continue to carry his torch of intellectual criticism of totalitarianism. Andrew Graham, White River Junction, VT USA
I've read everything he wrote... most of it without pleasure. I wasn't a fan of his prose... but the Gulag Archipelago I believe to be the single createst creative achievement of the past century, if not of all time. The story of that book - I cried reading it, and I'm crying now. He was a hard figure to love, but a giant light in the darkest of times. As a former child refugee, I am forever grateful...Marek Kazmierski, London, England
My father met Solzhenitsyn during the writer's US exile, when he visited the National Park Service's site at Jamestown Island in Virginia. He recalled Solzhenitsyn as having one of the largest hands he'd ever shaken. Edward Roach, Dayton, Ohio USA
I still remember an old interview. Alexander was living in the U.S. and wealthy from his book sales. He encountered writers' block and discovered the problem was his creative environment. A special room was built just for his writing "studio". It was the size of a closet....small..narrow..only room enough for him and his desk. In Russia, he spent his writing years in such a small private space; that is where his mind worked best...that is where his pen flowed with the Gulag books and A Day in the Life... Whoever bought his American home might have wondered about a seemingly useless little room that had no bars for hanging clothes or shelves for storing shoes. They might never realize that it was the study/writing area of one of mankinds great minds! Alan Norwood, Texas, USA
Oddly enough I was thinking about him yesterday as I was unpacking some books and found my copy of "A Day In The Life". I wondered if he was still alive... The book, which is quite short but packed with detail, is unremittingly bleak. I recommend it to anyone - the picture it portrays of life in a Siberian labour camp is all the more chilling for the knowledge that the author experienced it for real. I read it one winter but I swear you could read it in the height of summer and still feel the chill in your bones. It's a wonder he lived so long, considering, but he's left behind a legacy in exposing the harsh brutality of Stalin and those who followed him. Jonathan, Dundee, Scotland