Alexandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008) - famous Soviet writer, historian, public and political figure, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, dissident. Nobel laureate, author of the famous book “The Gulag Archipelago”. The Soviet authorities considered him a dissident, and his works gained incredible popularity among the reading public.
Childhood and education[]
Alexandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was born on December 11, 1918 in the city of Kislovodsk in the family of a peasant and a Cossack woman. Alexander's poor family moved to Rostov-on-Don in 1924. Since 1926, the future writer studied at a local school. At this time he created his first essays and poems.
In 1936, Solzhenitsyn entered the Rostov University at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, while continuing to engage in literary activities. In 1941, the writer graduated from Rostov University with honors. In 1939, Solzhenitsyn entered the correspondence department of the Faculty of Literature at the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History, but due to the outbreak of the war he was unable to graduate.
Eastern Front (World War II)[]
Despite his poor health, Solzhenitsyn strove to go to the front. Since 1941, the writer served in the 74th transport and horse-drawn battalion. In 1942, Alexander Isaevich was sent to the Kostroma Military School, after which he received the rank of lieutenant. Since 1943, Solzhenitsyn has served as commander of a sound reconnaissance battery. For military services, Alexandr Isayevich was awarded two honorary orders, received the rank of senior lieutenant, and then captain. During this period, Solzhenitsyn did not stop writing and kept a diary.
Conclusion and link[]
Alexandr Isayevich was critical of Stalin's policies and, in his letters to his friend Vitkevich, condemned the distorted interpretation of Leninism. In 1945, the writer was arrested and sentenced to 8 years in camps and eternal exile (under Article 58). In the winter of 1952, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose biography was already quite complicated, was diagnosed with cancer.
In 1953, the writer was sent into exile in the Kazakh SSR. There he taught at a school and was treated in the “cancer ward” in Tashkent. In 1956, when the link under Article 58 was dissolved, the writer returned to Russia.
The years of imprisonment are reflected in Solzhenitsyn’s literary work: in the works “Love the Revolution”, “In the First Circle”, “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, “Tanks Know the Truth”, etc.
Conflicts with authorities[]
Having settled in Ryazan, the writer works as a teacher at a local school and continues to write. In 1965, the KGB seized Solzhenitsyn's archive and he was prohibited from publishing his works. In 1967, Alexandr Isayevich wrote an open letter to the Congress of Soviet Writers, after which the authorities began to perceive him as a serious opponent.
In 1968, Solzhenitsyn completed work on the work “The Gulag Archipelago,” and “In the First Circle” and “Cancer Ward” were published abroad.
In 1969, Alexander Isaevich was expelled from the Writers' Union. After the publication abroad in 1974 of the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn was arrested and deported to Germany.
Life abroad. Last years[]
In 1975-1994, the writer visited Germany, Switzerland, USA, Canada, France, Great Britain, and Spain. In 1989, “The Gulag Archipelago” was first published in Russia in the magazine “New World”, and soon the story “Matrenin’s Dvor” was published in the magazine.
In 1994, Alexandr Isayevich returned to Russia. The writer continues to be actively involved in literary activities. In 2006–2007, the first books of the 30-volume collected works of Solzhenitsyn were published.
The date when the difficult life of the great writer ended was August 3, 2008. Solzhenitsyn died at his home in Troitse-Lykovo from heart failure. The writer was buried in the necropolis of the Donskoy Monastery.