The Concept of A. I. Solzhenitsyn’s Historical Process: Cultural and Philosophical Context

Abstract

Expressing his opinion on a particular occasion, event or problem in numerous interviews, public statements, letters, and articles A. I. Solzhenitsyn at the same time transmitted his conceptual considerations about the patterns and features of the course of historical process and the role of relevant actors (including individuals, nations, parties, and political figures) in it. A tendency towards cultural and philosophical understanding of historical processes and events, as well as interpretation of the latter in literary works and works of fiction, many of which are recognised as classic works of Russian literature, is typical for the Russian authors of the 19th‑20th centuries. Based on the publicist works by A. I. Solzhenitsyn, the author in a cultural and philosophical context consistently reveals the concept of the writer’s historical process which is constituted by the following aspects: the role of rulers in history, the relationship between history and God, the value of truth in history, unpredictability of history, and the need to treat history carefully