Such a great man and writer.
As far as I know there is that book about Lenin (the God) that has not yet been publiced in Russia.
I suppose it will take some time before we will have anything like Solzhenitsyn in China.
That worries me, as the Peking Olympics looks more and more like Berlin.

Lars, Helsinki, Finland

He was the great and courageous witness of the Gulag and Soviet oppression. He made a major contribution to bringing down the Soviet system. He is the proof that the lone courageous voice can have true influence in History.
After however the great work, came the years of Irony and self- delusion.

Shalom Freedman, Jerusalem , Israel

Today is the anniversary of the death of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh who, as Head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe, spoke in defence of Solzhenitsyn; for doing so he was removed from his post by the Soviet authorities, yet continued to support this great writer. To both: MEMORY ETERNAL!

Ekaterina, London,

Solzhenitsyn was simply a great man willing to go to extreme lengths to stand up for his beliefs. The world needs more people to follow his example.

Mark Hurst, Leicester,

A special man

RK, London,

Ivan Denisovitch was one of the most powerful books I have ever read. I read it at 12, but it truly spoke to my soul and I have never been the same since. It revealed to me the appalling cruelty of oppressive systems (of various types) and the importance of keeping one's soul alive no matter what.

Rose Richards, Cape Town, South Africa

"A great man. If only more people had read his books then america would not be getting away with their inhumane treatment of people today.

simon lomax, warrington, cheshire"

Inhuman treatment?

Steven Q, Minneapolis Mn., USA

Solzhenitsyn was critical of corruption, not socialism. "One Day in the Life" should no more make one suspicious of Socialism than reading about Guantanamo Bay should Capitalism.

Tom Davies, Oxford,

Solzhenitsyn was a great soul, who was the happiest under the nights, filled with stars, of Kazakhstan, of which he is one now.

Jaap den Haan, Renesse,

The message of Solzhenitsyn is directed as much against capitalism as Marxism - material values corrupt, spiritual values offer more than a consolation, they give the best defence against dehumanizing managerial elites who want to reduce us individuals to numbers appearing in reports and accounts.

fra paolo, London, England

Reading "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch " at 15 gave me a lifelong suspicion of socialism and its meritricious claims.

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

This truly is the death of a giant of modern times. Solzhenitsyn did just as much for peace and equality as Mandela has and, in a world in which fewer and fewer are prepared to step outside the comfort zone, only time can tell us what a totem for freedom this man was. A hero is gone.

Mike, Bristol,

What a refreshing intellectual after servile boot-lickers like Sartre and García Márquez who upheld and waved the flag of totalitarianism.

Eugene, heidelberg, germany

Hi,
I hold Alexander Solzhenitsyn with great esteem. My favourite book is one less noticed, August 1914. A wonderful book.
Regards Dr. Terence Hale

Terence Hale, Zandvoort, Holland

A great moment to recall THE FIRST CIRCLE. A novel which expresses the soul, the 'humanity' of a human being.
His true achievement was not just to bring to our attention a corruption that continues to exist the world over, but to reveal the human spirit which is capable of transcending it!

gardiner, berrien, france

Solzhenitsyn's political philosphy was simple yet effective: don't support a lie but rather defeat it! Obviously, that was too much for the repressive regime in Moscow. Ironically, by not supporting a lie nowadays qualifies you being called 'anti-American', or 'giving the enemy comfort' etc.

Robert B., Dubai, UAE

It's appalling to see and feel our Teachers gone, the ones who used their whatever talents to encourage people pursue values they believed and amazingly gaining tremendous results. I'm thankful to the world public who recognise and grieve.

Alexey L.N., Novosibirsk, Russia

Solzhenitsyn was a giant who made most Anglo-Saxon contemporary writers look trivial. He was hated by Western liberals because he revealed the truth about a regime worse than Nazi Germany; he also showed the truth of the human soul . Note how the leftie BBC is treating his death: that says it all

George, Bolton, England

If only China had a man like him the fall of communism and the Party's grip on a quarter of humanity's lives might end soon. Instead the west offers longevity pills in the form of the Olympics.

Morton Fellows, Hong Kong,

Mr. Solzhenitsyn was one of greatest writer of Russia of 20 century. I read most of his books,especially the Gulag, it reminded my of my Albanian Gulag at age 14 where over 127000 thousands died and over 1 million went through camps and prison. He lives in all of us,may he rest in peace. Amen

L.A. ISUFI, B. County .N.J., UNITED STATES

It is a pity that America opposed the USSR in Europe in the Cold War. It would have been more illuminating for Europeans to have faced the Kremlin, the Red Army and the gulags on their own. Today, especially in Southern Europe, one can hear how essential lessons have not been learnt.

Joe, New York, US

A great man. If only more people had read his books then america would not be getting away with their inhumane treatment of people today.

simon lomax, warrington, cheshire

Silence from the Western academics who justified the Soviet regime and apologized for it for decades. I remember teaching at Wesleyan University the 60's and being told that the Soviets were trying to create a new kind of man. I objected and tenure was not forth coming.

robert macdonald phillips, West Hartford, USA