The Gulag Archipelago has been in my book collection since 1975. I attempted reading it back then, and found it rather impenetrable. Not that I didn't understand it; I couldn't fathom the viewpoint of an ex-prisoner writing a massive tome about not only his experience in the "system", but a veritable history of the system.
Solzhenitsyn was fascinating because of his experience of Soviet oppression and because, even though he lived in the US for over 20 years, he never became "one of us". In fact, his criticism of the US was as sharp as that of his home country.
When he returned to Russia in 1994, he was able to speak his criticism of the country openly, and had done so ever since, although he spoke approvingly of Vladimir Putin as someone who was restoring Russia's greatness.
About a month ago I began reading the Gulag again. After 30+ years it is no longer so impenetrable. It is fascinating, illuminating, depressing, and terrifying. It is also a testimony to the difference one person can make.
Solzhenitsyn was never co-opted politically. He spoke the truth to power in a dangerous and bold way. He put everything on the line, and, although his particular vision might not have prevailed, he was vindicated by the fall of the Soviet Union.
He might not have been treated as a conquering hero on his return to Russia, but he has definitely left a legacy that demonstrates how a person can comport themselves with dignity in the face of monstrous tyranny. And tyranny is something we face in many forms, on many levels.
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