Person, who drowned in his own myth? Victor Hugo a

Person, who drowned in his own myth? Victor Hugo and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. A super-short review of the book by Lyudmila Saraskina "Alexander Solzhenitsyn".


Lyudmila Saraskina wrote an excellent, detailed, conscientious book - a biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. [Saraskina, Liudmila, 2008: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Moscow: Molodaia gvardiia]

We consider this our statement about the book by Lyudmila Saraskina as a reason for some of our personal considerations about the biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

1. Alexander Solzhenitsyn and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Rostov University until about the mid-50s of the 20th century continued the traditions of the University of Warsaw (which was evacuated in 1915 from Warsaw to Rostov-on-Don). The best friend of  Solzhenitsyn's youth, Vitkevich, and the first wife, Reshetovskaya, were close to the eastern republican cultural traditions. Periods of school and university were in Rostov-on-Don (at that time - in a sense - a Polish university city). I did not find a single mention of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Saraskina's book.

(I also note that in his inner type, Solzhenitsyn, with his methodicalness and ability to work - with his many internal qualities - even luckiness - resembles Heinrich Schliemann. Huge inclination to education (to self-education), huge potential of activity, of creativity. Almost complete absence of traditional Russian vices. Absolute confidence in himself and in future success.).


2. Alexander Solzhenitsyn and those on whom he hopes, whom he represents.

We have already briefly spoken about Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I can assume that in the works of Alexander Solzhenitsyn there is no mention of not only the Commonwealth, but also the the East-Republican gentry (members of szlachta).

Nevertheless, he represents someone, he identifies himself with someone.

With whom?

The years of youth - there was an attempt to defend Leninism (from Stalin). “He says that he sees the meaning of his life in serving the interests of the world revolution - with the pen. He doesn't like everything today. Union with England and the United States. The Communist International has been dissolved. The hymn has changed. In the army - shoulder straps. In all this he sees a departure from the ideals of the revolution. He advises me to buy the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin. May be, he says, that after the war they will disappear from sale and from library shelves. All this will have to be fought after the war. He is ready for her [for struggle]. " (Natalia Reshetovskaya. In a dispute over time. Memories.).  [unofficial translation]

1950s - 1960s. It can be assumed that Alexander Isaevich identifies himself with (political) convicts [prisoners] and peasants, he represents (political) convicts and peasants.

After the publication of the works "One Day of Ivan Denisovich" and "Matrenin's Dvor", Alexander Solzhenitsyn became famous all over the Union (and around all the world).

By this time, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, as a school teacher (and in other social roles), was reflecting (in official life) about satellites, about the usage of nuclear energy and about other modern topics.

With that, the focus of creative attention was shifted from the (political) convicts [prisoners] and from peasants to a new subject.

The Letter to the Soviet Leaders [The Letter to the leaders of the Soviet Union] deals with global problems.

Is Alexander Solzhenitsyn acting as a representative of a humanity (the humanity is threatened with misfortune from global problems)? As a representative of the Soviet people, which was ineffectively ruled by the leaders?

The leaders did not respond, the Western public did not actively react to this change in the focus of creative attention.

A Letter to the Writers' Congress - a human rights issue. A censorship. ... Samizdat. In the public atmosphere, dissidents and human rights defenders are becoming increasingly important. Sakharov.

Forced emigration. Alexander Isaevich becomes a kind of representative of the Russian people (in the form of nostalgic memories). A new-old task arises:  to throw a bridge, to pass the baton, from pre-revolutionary Russia to post-Soviet Russia.

This is where Stolypin's theme arises.

I can assume that the Coup of June 1907 [Stolypin's Coup]  (with the direct participation of Stolypin) did not receive a worthy assessment in the work of Alexander Isaevich. The very positive actions of Sergei Witte, the huge potential of the State Duma of the Russian Empire of the 1st convocation, the possibility of transition (after the October Manifesto of 1905, but before the Coup of June 1907) to a constitutional monarchy and to an effective solution of the agrarian question were not analyzed.

“In June 1953, N.I. Zubov wrote to his wife:“ I have a new friend, an exile, a teacher of mathematics, very youthful, although he is probably about thirty years old. His name is Sanya, from Rostov n /D, the Terek Cossack, he was born in Kislovodsk ... ". (Lyudmila Saraskina). [unofficial translation]

Alexander Isaevich did not identify himself with the Cossacks.

The Cossacks - it's a development of Siberia, the Far East ...

The cultural traditions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - it is an economic leap forward in the 20-30-40-50s of the 20th century.

The Romanov dynasty - the decrepit power - it is not only about lost wars (1853-1856, 1877-1878, 1904-1905). This is not only the mistaken centuries-old support of Prussia (Germany).

This is the sold Alaska.

This is the evasion of the emancipation [liberation] of the peasants (or the inability to free the peasants) after the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 ...


3. Victor Hugo and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

If the myth implied the construction of a bridge, the transfer of the baton from pre-revolutionary Russia to post-Soviet Russia, then after Gorbachev left, it was necessary to return to Russia.

What did Victor Hugo protest against with his creativity and his emigration? Against Napoleon III and his regime specifically? Or against the violation of the principles of democracy and republicanism?

Perhaps, if Alexander Solzhenitsyn followed the example of Victor Hugo, then he should not have returned from the USA to Russia? Or should he go back to the USA (again into the exile) after a year of living in Russia? Protect fundamental values? But which ones?

If we give a positive assessment to Stolypin (and the Coup of June 1907), then democracy and republicanism are not in the first place?

It remains unclear who Alexander Isaevich represented after his return to Russia ...

The (political) convicts [prisoners]? Peasants? He defended the memories about a honest, cultured, hard-working people who lived in Russia until February 1917?

Alexander Isaevich wrote a lot about "Russians" and "Soviet" ... Maybe the time for "Russials" has gradually come? ..

He drowned in his own myth?


[DCCCLXVI. The Sketch how Vanya Zhukov translated the word "Russian" from Russian into English and improved the language of Shakespeare. - May 31, 2019.

MCMXVIII. Alexander Solzhenitsyn writes about Poland. A buff story. - December 24, 2020.

MCMXXXIV. The grandiose myth by Karamzin - Solzhenitsyn. Karamzin, Krzhizhanovsky, Gorky, Tvardovsky, Solzhenitsyn. Essay on the Europeanization of Russia. - January 4, 2021.].


January 6, 2021 20:34


Translation from Russian into English: January 7, 2021 05:05.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский «Утонувший в собственном мифе? Виктор Гюго и Александр Солженицын. Супер-краткая рецензия на книгу Людмилы Сараскиной «Александр Солженицын»».