Liberty Series: A Voice that Shook the USSR

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn won the Nobel Prize for the “ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature,” including writings that exposed the brutal realities of the Soviet Gulag, drawn in part from his own years of imprisonment. His works galvanized the moral and intellectual case of freedom-lovers in the West who opposed totalitarianism and communism. In 1976, he received Founding Forward’s Friendship Award (then Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge). Now, 50 years later, Aleksandr’s son, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, an accomplished musician and intellectual in his own right, will discuss his father’s life and works, including the speeches collected in the new book he edited, We Have Ceased to See the Purpose: Essential Speeches of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, where—in beautiful, yet haunting and prophetic prose—Solzhenitsyn explores the two-edged nature of limitless freedom and the power of literature, art, and culture to elevate the human spirit.  

This program will be hosted in-person at the League House. Registration is required. Solzhenitsyn’s book, We Have Ceased to See the Purpose: Essential Speeches of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, will be sold at the reception. 

Reception: 6:00pm
Program: 6:30pm
End of Program: 7:30pm 

Streaming: Unless requested otherwise by the speaker, Founding Forward programs are streamed via YouTube. Click here to find the livestream (live at 6:30pm the day of the event). Virtual viewing does not require registration.