Rest in Peace

Alexander Solzhenitsyn died yesterday at the age of 89.

His wife, Natalya, told the Interfax news agency that her husband, who suffered along with millions of Russians in the prison camp system, died as he had hoped to die.

"He wanted to die in the summer — and he died in the summer," she said. "He wanted to die at home — and he died at home. In general I should say that Alexander Isaevich lived a difficult but happy life."

It is the first most complicated name I remember learning. Funny, the things that stick in your head. I remember my parents trying to explain to an eight year old who he was and why he was so important. I didn't read his books until college and so I didn't understand, really, why he was so important until then. It takes time to discern, to comprehend.


Solzhenitsyn at Nobelprize.org
Solzhenitsyn at Spartacus
Solzhenitsyn at Wiki
BBC