VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mrs Solzhenitsyn. In a few days' time, it will be one year since the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. On his approaching anniversary, I would like to return to something we discussed with Alexander Solzhenitsyn some time ago. I would like to talk about publicising and studying his literary legacy...
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: Studying sounds better.
Vladimir Putin: Let's then say studying his literary legacy. You are probably aware that today's secondary school curriculum already includes such works as Matryona's House, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich; and in specialised literary schools they also study the Gulag Archipelago.
I remember - and we have discussed this before - that you have your own ideas and proposals relating to this.
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: I think that it would better if we create an abridged version of the Gulag Archipelago, condense three volumes into one, as it was first done in the USA and then republished throughout the world. They have an abridged version for high school pupils and university students in general. We should publish a similar volume in Russia.
I will prepare such a volume on Alexander's request. Originally, he was against the idea, but then he understood that nowadays people have very little time to read.
Still, I believe that including the full edition of the Gulag Archipelago in the school curriculum, even in advanced schools, is rather unrealistic. This may only lead to complaints from young people. It is very easy to stir up discord, if we put too much pressure.
I feel that it would make more sense to attract experienced teachers and specialists, which I am not. It would be reasonable to have a certain number of lessons included in the curriculum. It could be two or three lessons, I am not certain how many - qualified specialists will know better. I am ready to work with them to prepare the mandatory reading materials. It will not be a big amount, but hopefully, it will touch their souls. If it does touch a person's soul, he will then want to read the single volume as part of summer reading.
I believe this is better than forcing everyone to read a huge amount.
Vladimir Putin: When I mentioned the Gulag Archipelago, I meant studying it in specialized schools, where literature is the main subject.
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: I see. But I think that having two to three lessons in the regular school curriculum - I am not sure whether it should be the literature or history curriculum, this is something for specialists to decide - would be the right thing to do, simply out of respect to our country's history. I am convinced that if we say that these events never happened or that we had to pay the "necessary cost," as it has become customary to say as of late, then we will not get anywhere. It would mean a denial of our history's tragic past.
Vladimir Putin: Let's discuss this in more detail.
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: Let's do that. We had a very difficult year, but I would like to give you some works that we were able to publish, not just this year, of course. Here are, for example, 3 audio books, read by the author, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This, here, has just been released; and this one is an advance copy, it is yet to be published in the coming days.
Vladimir Putin: Are these new editions?
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: Yes. The audio books you can listen to while driving or on an airplane. He is a very good reader, by the way. This one is a biography in photographs, of sorts - we have just opened an exhibition of his books. These are books in different languages. These are some short stories, but leave a very strong impression.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Natalya Solzhenitsyn: And this I would like you to keep for yourself, if not at home, then at this building (the Government House) at least. These are the first 11 volumes of the 30-volume collection of works.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
