Vale Alexander Solzhenitsyn!
It may be argued that the genuine models of moral excellence are great and visionary but flawed individuals, rather than those such as Sathya Sai Baba, the failed ‘God’ who would be King of Kings.
One may find it surprising that people’s sectarian views could not be raised above, and a tribute paid to the wonderful qualities of a man like Alexander Solzhenitzen.
I asked a Russian friend of mine: why is it that one who, like so many other Russians, went through such persecution and privation would have such a poor turn-out upon his passing? Some went out in bitter cold so as to honour him. Why not many more, and what of a few hours of frostbite compared to the sufferings in a great cause such as Russians like Solzhenitsyn stood for? I asked.
In his second email, my friend wrote:
I searched the Internet and I was pleased to find the all the main points I mentioned in my first letter had been previously mentioned in a number of publications and reports.
When Solzhenitsyn came back to Russia, he criticized people and policies from different parts of the political spectrum and suggested rather utopian solutions for the country’s problems. Though relevant, his criticism was not new for people in Russia. They had heard all of that years before. It was no revelation. In fact, people were rather tired of so much criticism in their life. As a result, he found himself isolated from any political groups and movements in Russia but at the same time he still wanted to be a prophet in his Fatherland. Finally, after being number 12 in the list of the most influencial political figures in Russia, he lost his place in the top 100.
In his previous email, my friend said:
