Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

 

“The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian individual who was a writer and poet. Solzhenitsyn would write freely about what he believed and would send his correspondence to friends. Up until the point when the Soviets took power and opened one of his letters. The clear intrusion of privacy did not register in the minds of the Soviets as it was known that Aleksandr was a writer. Like any group think ideology, the Soviet Communists decided that in order to prevent wrong think or "evil ideologies" from flourishing (evil as in everything that they, the Soviets, themselves did not believe in), they needed to invade Aleksandr’s privacy and bring him to social justice.

 

“Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

 

After having his letter stolen and taken into the Soviet court, Aleksandr was charged with writing against the Communist government. He was sentenced to confinement and taken to multiple locations. It was there that he found out what the reality of Communism was. He made it his mission to find out the most he could from the people’s own mouths concerning the government. He found out at the reality was worse than he thought. People were silenced, tortured, used, abused, hated, envied, destroyed, all for the sake of the illusion of "unlimited power". Neighbor hated neighbor and soldiers used their power to get what they wanted.

 

“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually also recognize the voice of conscience.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

 

As he continued to live under the terrible management of the government, Aleksandr learned to understand those compatriots who had suffered the same fate. They all specified how they were lied to and how they never understood why. Aleksandr understood that the government was using lies as the only method of suppressing the truth. To the outside world, Russia was seen as a strong force, but inside the country, people were suffering. Many people were sent to labor camps where they worked for no pay and only a stingy meal. All was not well in the Soviet Union.

 

“For us in Russia, communism is a dead dog, while, for many in the West it is still a living lion.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Russians living in the Soviet Union knew what their truth was. They knew that it was a cannibal like led government that survived by eating its own citizens. Russians knew that in their day to day lives. Only the West was unaware of the reality of the roaring Bear. It is many years later and yet we see the influence that such a dangerous ideology leads many astray. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was able to speak the truth and was able to write the reality he lived in. For that, the West, should be greatful for the truth expressed by Solzhenitsyn.

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Describing the Lies and Deceit of Communist Propaganda

"It is not necessary during the interrogation to look for evidence proving that the accused opposed the Soviets by word or action. The first question which you should ask him is what class does he belong to, his origin, his education and his profession. These are the questions that will determine the fate of the accused. Such is the sense and essence of red terror." (page 21)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described in the Gulag Archipelago the manner that socialism and communism did not actually help individuals. We learn that the Soviets wanted to remove the intellectuals and believers in order to create a society without history, science, writing, Christianity, logic, truth, filial love, and genuine empathy. We learn that socialism and communism is actually the religion of envy and coveting. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that what "appeared" to be a "well intentioned" revolution to help the prolitariat was actually persecution. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that the communists of the 1918 "revolution" were actually trying to impose an unjust system that looked to get rid of what in its paranoic mind was opposition. We learn that communism and socialism are often romanticized in marxist literature while actually not showing the reality of the religion of envy and coveting. 

"For several decades political arrests were distinguished in our country precisely by the fact that people were arrested who were guilty of nothing..."- (page 9)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that the strategies of the socialists and communists was to falsely accuse individuals so that they ended up in Gulag, or the prison system of the Soviet Union. We learn that there were informants everywhere including theater cashiers, railway operators, and taxi drivers that were ready to accuse anyone they did not like. We learn that the accusations were false and targeted individuals that were not a part of the Soviets. We learn that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a loyal soldier who was accused falsely of sedition because he wrote a letter to a friend in another country. The soviet informants disregarded the privacy of its citizens opening Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's letter and accusing him of criticizing Stalin. For this, he was sentenced to the gulag system. We learn that in prison, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn converted to Christianity seeing that there were individuals who were faithful and did not renounce their zeal despite the persecution. 

The Soviet Union Persecuted Priests, Nuns, Loyal Soldiers, Teachers, the Workers, and Parents

We learn from the writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in the Gulag Archipelago about the manner that the Soviets did not try to help individuals. While communism states that it tries to relieve the injustices that have occured helping the prolitariat workers, it actually does nothing but propagate envy and lies. In fact, the prolitariat workers were persecuted and envied. We learn that the soviets persecuted:

Priests and Members of the Clergy

Priests and members of the clergy describing their intolerance of the true faith. We learn that Christianity and communism are opposed because Christianity describes the need to obey the commandments of Moses while communism describes the need to disobey the commandments of Moses. We learn that communism taught the need to envy and covet other people's resources, talents, and virtues. This was one of the reasons why the communists envied the priests and nuns. We learn that socialism, marxism, and communism attempt to lead individuals to have negative emotions because they describe that there is the need to be atheistic meaning not professing faith in the Creator and nihilistic meaning not believing in meaning and purpose because they do not believe ir GOD Almighty. 

"For this reason the Patriarch Tikhon was arrested and two resounding trials were held, followed by the execution in Moscow of those who had publicized the Patriarch's appeal and, in Petrograd, or the Metropolitan Veniamin, who had attempted to hinder the transfer of ecclesiastical power to the 'Living Church' group. Here and there in the provincial centers and even further down in the administrative districts, metropolitans and bishops were arrested."- (page 22-23)

If there is no faith in GOD Almighty, then there would be no need to obey the commandments according to socialist and communist propaganda. Instead, the worship goes to idols and idolatry. We learn that this is something that happens when there is no faith in GOD Almighty. The Soviets attempted to create a "church" that was actually supposed to replace existing true faithful leadership with that which would prioritize communism over the true faith. The Soviets would then persecute any true priests and faithful believers who trusted in GOD Almighty over the state. We learn that the true faith in GOD Almighty allows individuals to prosper while everyone improves. In socialism and communism where there is envy and coveting, there are attempts at preventing others from improving. The Soviets taught the need to falsely accuse others whenever they coveted or wanted what other people had. Private property was a difficult concept for socialism and communism because it teaches the need to envy and covet. 

Loyal Soldiers

"They took those who were too independent, too influential, along with those who were too well-to-do, too intelligent, too noteworthy; they took particularly, many Poles from former Polish provinces. They arrested officers everywhere."- (page 30) 

Loyal and capable soldiers were persecuted in 1939-1940s from Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Byelorussia and Poland who were deemed too independent and capable. There were also loyal Soviet soldiers that had fought against the nazi socialists in the 1940s who were persecuted. We learn that loyal and good soldiers were also persecuted by the Soviets because of envy. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was an example because he was a loyal and good soldier who was envied. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was falsely accused of sedition. We learn that his private letters were opened and read by Soviet soldiers without consent. We learn that not only is private property a difficult concept for socialists and communists but also privacy. We learn that Aleksandr described how he had to tell the Soviet soldiers where the gulag prison was because they did not know the directions. We learn that this was interesting being that there was envy and hate, yet a lack of needing to improve and better oneself. Another example, described Soviet soldiers who fought in the Second World War and ended up in Sweden. In Sweden, they were given freedom and autonomy and treated well. When they were returned to the Soviet Union, they were arrested for speaking good about Sweden and capitalism.

"For example, during the first days of the war one of our destroyers went aground in Swedish territory. Its crew proceeded to live freely in Sweden during all the rest of the war. After the war, Sweden returned them to us along with the destroyer. Their treason to the Motherland was indubitable-but somehow the case did not get off the ground. They let them go their different ways and then pasted them with Anti-Soviet Agitation for their lovely stories in praise of freedom and good eating in capitalist Sweden. (This was the Kadenko group)."- (page 32)

There where Soviet soldiers who ended up in Sweden during the Second World War and were given the freedom to live in Sweden for a specific amount of time until the war ended. They were returned to the Soviets and were arrested for Anti-Soviet Agitation or speaking well of autonomy and freedom in capitalist Sweden. This describes the incongruency that existed in communism during the 1940s in the Soviet Union where individuals could not have the freedom to speak well of Sweden because it was capitalist and respected autonomy. This was with the intention to suppress any information that allowed individuals to learn about the benefits of capitalism and autonomy. There were also Soviet soldiers who had fought against the Germans in the Second World War and instead of being received with gratitude, they were sent to the gulags after surviving the war. 

Business Owners and Workers

"Who was arrested in the 'gold' wave? All those who, at one time or another, fifteen years before, had had a private business, had been involved in retail trade, had earned wages at a craft, and could have, according to the GPU's deductions, hoarded gold. But it so happened that they had no gold... They had high hopes, of course, in arresting dental technicians, jewelers, and watch repairmen." (page 25)

Business owners and workers that had gained sufficient resources were persecuted. The Soviets did not produce resources because there was slothfulness and envy instead of discipline and industriousness being exemplified. We learn that the Soviets cared about the class and professions of individuals so that they could obtain resources. They wanted to persecute dental technicians, jewelers, and watch repairmen with the intention of confiscating gold and previous metals. They also persecuted anyone who had received wages for fifteen years, had a business, and was involved in retail trade, and whom soviets thought may have held gold. 

“Here is one vignette from those years as it actually occurred. A district Party conference was under way in Moscow Province. It was presided over by a new secretary of the District Party Committee, replacing one recently arrested. At the conclusion of the conference, a tribute to Comrade Stalin was called for. Of course, everyone stood up (just as everyone had leaped to his feet during the conference at every mention of his name). The small hall echoed with 'stormy applause, rising to an ovation.’ For three minutes, four minutes, five minutes, the 'stormy applause, rising to an ovation' continued. But palms were getting sore and raised arms were already aching. And the older people were panting from exhaustion. It was becoming insufferably silly even to those who really adored Stalin. However, who would dare be the first to stop? The secretary of the District Party Committee could have done it. He was standing on the platform, and it was he who had just called for the ovation. But he was a newcomer. He had taken the place of a man who'd seen arrested. He was afraid! After all, NKVD men were standing in the hall applauding and watching to see who quit first! And in that obscure, small hall, unknown to the Leader, the applause went on-six, seven, eight minutes! They were done for! Their goose was cooked! They couldn't stop know until they collapsed of heart attacks. At the rear of the hall, which was crowded, they could of course cheat a bit, clap less frequently, less vigorously, not so eagerly- but up there with the presidium where everyone could see them?”

There is the story of a businessman who had a factory who was taken to gulag because he failed to keep applauding Stalin's speech after more than 10 minutes of clapping. No one wanted to stop clapping for the fear of being sent to gulag. We learn that even sycophants were fearful of persecution in the Soviet Union. The factory owner decided to sit down after more than enough clapping after a tribute to Stalin. The interrogator had given him advice that "one should never be the first person to stop applauding". This describes the sheer madness of socialism and communism. We learn that individuals were not given the ability to have autonomy and independence. This describes why socialism is not a good philosophy and the manner that the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.

Students and Professors

"In that same year the practice of arresting students began... Also in 1921 the arrests of members of all non-Bolshevik parties were expanded and systematized. In fact, all Russia's political parties had been buried..."- (page 22)

Students, professors, and historians who were not a part of the Bolshevik parties in the 1920s were persecuted. Essentially, the Bolsheviks did not want any other party to exist. We learn that students who were not members of the Bolsheviks were arrested and persecuted for not belonging to socialism and communism. In the 1920s, there were historians who were arrested because socialism and communism did not want individuals learning. This describes the perils of socialism and communism of attempting to prevent self-improvement through learning and education. 

There was also a story of a professor that was arrested during Stalin's time as leader for mentioning Lenin and Marx in his lecture but not citing Stalin. To this an informant that was a student decided to accuse the professor of failing to mention Stalin in his lecture while having mentioned Lenin and Marx. The professor was not seen after he conducted that lecture. This describes the insanity of socialism and communism. 

                       Parents of Children

"In the 1920s the religious education of children was classified as a political crime under Article 58-10 of the Code- in other words, counter-revolutionary propaganda! True, one was permitted to renounce one's religion at one's trial: it didn't often happen..."- The Gulag Archipelago (page 23)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that the Soviets attempted to prevent parents from teaching their children about Christianity. Individuals were able to have faith, yet were not allowed to voice their belief. There were cases where parents of children were falsely accused of sedition against the state when we know that they were instructing their children on the true faith. This allows us to know why we can not believe any of the romanticized versions of marxism that are actually false and either make its supposed "heroes" appear "benevolent" when in reality they persecuted their citizens and offered nothing but envy and temporary lies. We learn that the Soviets did not want true Christianity to be preached because the worship of GOD Almighty allows people to better themselves and their children. 

We learn that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described that people who were faithful believers did not renounce their faith. While in prison, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn decided to renounce socialism and communism for King Jesus Christ. We learn that this is important because while in the gulag system, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote about the truth of the Soviet Union without any lies. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote about how communism and socialism were nothing good. We learn that the writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn were another main reason why the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. The Gulag Archipelago described the reality of the false system of socialism and communism that offered nothing but envy, temporary lies, and fakeness while persecuting the individuals that were helping and improving society describing its own soldiers, family structure, and priests. For this and too many reasons that can be described, the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.

The Soviets Also Arrested Based on Quotas

"The real law underlying the arrests of those years was the assignment of quotas, the norms set, the planned allocations. Every city, every district, every military unit was assigned a specific quota of arrests to be carried out by a stipulated time." 

We learn from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that the Soviets also arrested individuals based on quotas. This describes that there was no real explanation or cause other than to increase the numbers of individuals in gulag. This describes that the selection was based on arbitrariness and totalitarianism and not based on actual breaking of the law. We learn that the charges were based on false accusations and not on actual truth. We learn that essentially anyone could be falsely accused with breaking Article 58 section 10. We learn that there were Soviet soldiers who returned from Sweden after fighting in the Second World War who were arrested for speaking good things about the autonomy and freedom they enjoyed in capitalist Sweden. Also just possessing literary materials like the historian mentioned previously could have caused envy. There was a historian who was arrested for having literature and books about history. This was obviously not to help its citizenry and instead was to keep individuals from understanding the truth and improving themselves through learning.

"There was no section in Article 58 which was interpreted as broadly and with so ardent a revolutionary conscience as section 10. Its definition was: 'Propaganda or agitation, containing an appeal for the overthrow, subverting, or weakening of the Soviet power... and, equally, the dissemination or preparation or possession of literary materials of similar content.'"- (page 27)

Goodness of Individuals Despite Persecution and Envy

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described how there were righteous individuals who persevered despite the persecution. We learn of a priest in 1934 that went to "Alma-Ata to visit some believers in exile there". While he was visiting the faithful believers in another region, the Soviets went to his Moscow apartment to arrest him multiple times. We learn that the priest was able to persevere despite persecution. When he returned, righteous faithful individuals met him at the transportation station and "refused to let him go home and for eight years hid him in one apartment after another." 

The priest was able to persevere despite the persecution from the Soviets. We learn that he was arrested years later and was glad that he did not have to hide from the Soviets anymore. We learn that he sang hymns of worship to GOD Almighty. This describes that the worship of GOD Almighty is greater than the circumstances or persecution. We learn that there were individuals that despite the obstacles, envy, and difficulties imposed by the persecution of the Soviets, they were able to worship GOD Almighty through it all. We learn that the righteous Christians did not renounce their faith in King Jesus Christ. This is impressive seeing the manner that even amidst the sheer number of informants of the Soviet Union, righteous Christians persevered and the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.

   Righteous Individuals Persevering With                                           Courage

"Only the man who has renounced everything can win that victory. But how can one turn one's body to stone? Well, they managed to turn some individuals from the Berdyayev circle into puppets for a trial, but they didn't succeed with Berdyayev. They wanted to drag him into an open trial; they arrested him twice; and (in 1922) he was subjected to a night interrogation by Dzerzhinsky himself. Kamenev was there too. But Berdyayev did not humiliate himself. He did not beg or plead. He set forth firmly those religious and moral principles which had led him to refuse to accept the political authority established in Russia. And not only did they come to the conclusion that he would be useless for a trial, but they liberated him." (page 64)

While in the Soviet Union there were attempts to discourage individuals from professing their faith, there were righteous individuals who did not fear and persevered with high courage. There was the story of an individual that was hated and envied by the Soviets, yet persevered. He did not speak lies and refused to accept the coercion and false authority of the Soviet informants. Instead of having fear, he decided to keep to his religious and moral principles that allowed him to persevere so much so that he was liberated by the Soviets.

"After all, you are afraid of your bosses, and you are afraid of each other, and you are even afraid of killing me.' (They would lose contact with the underground railroad.) 'But I am not afraid of anything. I would be glad to be judged by GOD right this minute.'" (page 64)

We learn of another story of an older woman who had helped a metropolitan by hiding him from the Soviets. The metropolitan fled to Finland and received refuge from the persecution of the Soviets. We learn that the old woman was arrested and interrogated on the whereabouts of the metropolitan. The older woman did not tell them where he fled to and was not afraid of the Soviets. There were also individuals who did not speak lies nor betray anyone. There were individuals that chose to be martyred than practice wickedness. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was able to speak and write about the valor and high courage of righteous individuals who persevered despite the discouragements and envy from Soviet informants. We learn that there were individuals that did not renounce their faith and persevered despite persecution. 

There is the story of a woman named, Vera Korneyeva, who when arrested and given the '206' form by her interrogator describing what she was being accused of, decided to describe the truth and the difficulties that were existing. She was placed in another room with other employees in order to read the form. While she read the file in another room with other employees, she began to preach. People from other offices including "typists, stenographers, and file clerks" filled up the room. She was speaking the truth concerning the injustices of a system that had apparent incongruencies and deficits. 

"It is impossible to reconstruct her monologue. She managed to work in all sorts of things, including the question of 'traitors of the Motherland'. Why where there no traitors in the 1812 War of the Fatherland, when there was still serfdom? It would have been natural to have traitors then! But mostly she spoke about religious faith and religious believers. Formerly, she declared, unbridled passions were the basis for everything- 'Steal the stolen goods'- and, in that state of affairs, religious believers were naturally a hindrance to you. But now, when you want to build and prosper in the world, why do you persecute your best citizens? They represent your most precious material: after all, believers don't need to be watched, they do not steal, and they do not shirk. Do you think you can build a just society on a foundation of self-serving and envious people? Everything in the country is falling part. Why do you spit in the hearts of your best people? Separate church and state properly and do not touch the church; you will not lose a thing thereby. Are you materialists? In that case, put your faith in education- in the possibility that it will, as they say, disperse religious faith. But why arrest people? At this point Goldman came in and started to interrupt rudely. But everyone shouted at him: 'Oh, shut up! Keep quiet! Go ahead, woman, talk.' And Vera continued in the presence of her interrogator.

We learn that the people in the room where listening attentively to the sermon that Vera Korneyeva was giving. She kept on speaking truth concerning the importance of justice and equity. When people from other rooms were filling up the room listening to her speak, the interrogator, Goldman, attempted to interrupt her. The people in the room told the interrogator to be quiet and for Vera Korneyeva to keep speaking truth.

Envy and Division in the Soviet Union

We learn from the story of the Soviet Union how individuals did not have genuine empathy for one another. We learn that Stalin hated Lenin, and Lenin hated Stalin. Stalin hated Trotsky, and, most likely, Trotsky hated Stalin. We learn that Hitler hated Stalin, and Stalin hated Hitler. We learn that Stalin sent Lenin into exile and later Stalin would also be placed in exile. We learn that Hitler attacked Stalin being that both practiced socialism. We learn that for this and so many reasons, we are not supposed to believe the temporary lies of socialism and communism that want to lead far from the obedience to the commandments of Moses. We can guard our heart and mind from the temporary lies of evil that want individuals to doubt GOD Almighty. Instead, we can doubt the false lies of evil. 

This is understood by the manner that there were informants in the Soviet Union who spoke lies and slander. Their job was to accuse and slander individuals that they thought were against the Soviets or also whom they envied. This describes that there was a lot of slander and lies spoken by Soviet informants. We learned that an informant had complained about the manner that a professor had cited Marx and Lenin in a lecture while not including Stalin. The professor did not instruct additional lectures and most likely was taken to gulag. We learn that this describes the insanity that exists in socialist and communist dystopias that attempt to lead individuals to become sycophants instead of independent thinkers and individuals. Solzhenitsyn questioned what the fate of the professor could have been had he not cited any of the communism leaders.