Solzhenitsyn: In June 2007, Vladimir Putin (r.), who gave Alexander Solzhenitsyn a humanitarian award, visited the writer at his home on the outskirts of Moscow. (Photo by RIA Novosti)
One writer among the Soviet dissidents did the most to force Western awareness of the true nature of the communist regime during our complacent years of the 60s and 70s, and he was the same writer who did a huge service to the West in 1978 when, accepting an honorary degree at Harvard, he had the courage to tell the truth about Western materialism and spiritual decay. He was sage yet again in his characterization of the new Russian Federation in recent years. He was a stern but enormously good prophet.
His last interview, with Der Spiegel, was discussed on Russia Blog only a year ago.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn's death at 89 was just announced.
Solzhenitsyn broke taboos, shook Soviet empire (by Associated Press)
