One day Ivan Denisovich

When in September 1962 Lidia Chukovskaya asked Anna Akhmatova if she had not yet read the story of one day of one camp prisoner and what she was thinking about her, the answer of the great poet was clear and firm. ""- Think? This story is obliged to read and learn by heart - every citizen is of an art of two hundred million citizens of the Soviet Union. " She said her resolution slowly, clearly, almost in warehouses, as if she were announcing a sentence. " Now - more than half a century later - it is clear that the said Akhmatova should be widespread for two stories by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who appeared after the "one day of Ivan Denisovich" and the strongest connected with him. In a world where power is based on lies and cruelty, where their fluids permeate all being, monstrous evil can be created not only by born villains, but conscientious, honest, thirsty for justice people ("case at the Kochetovka station ”) This world somehow rests only because inconspicuous, or even inconspicuous ones, but truly pure souls are found in it, to see which the Russian writer ("Matrynin Dvor", the original name of the story - does not stand without the righteous ") Perhaps if Akhmatova’s Testament was heard and fulfilled, our country and we ourselves would be somewhat different than now.

The accompanying article by Andrei Nemzer

Andrey Semenovich Nemzer (1957) - candidate of philological sciences, ordinary professor of the school of philology of the National Research University "Higher School of Economics" (Moscow), author of eleven books and many articles on Russian literature of the XIX - early XXI century, laureate of the Government Prize Russian Federation (2015)