Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and His Fight Against Totalitarianism

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born in Kislovodsk on December 11th 1918. He was brought up by his mother who was a short hand typist. He lived in the town of Rostov on the Don until he was an adult. Ever since he was a child he wanted to be a writer.

In the1930's he tried to publish what he had written, but he couldn't find anyone who would. He wanted further literary education, but it was not allowed so he went to University for mathematics instead, and proved himself to be very smart. Even though he was he was very good at math he didn't want to devote his whole life to it. He was grateful to know math the way he did as it saved his life many times over the years that he spent in camps.

During his exile he was allowed to teach math and physics, which allowed him to wright. If he had a literary education it is likely that he wouldn't have survived his ordeals. In 1944-45 he was arrested for writing disrespectful remarks towards Stalin that were said to be described terms. He was sentenced to a detention camp (which is very lucky). During the years leading to 1961 he was sure that none of his writings would every be published in his lifetime.

At the age of 42 his secret writing started wearing him down, and he was upset that his work couldn't be published. That same year he gathered up enough courage to send in " One Day in The Life Of Ivan Denisovich"  to be published. It was very risky because his writings and him could be terminated. Luckily it was published as a novel one year later.

Aleksandr went against totalitarianism by continuing to wright when it was against the rules. He knew he could be killed, but still stayed true to himself.