Regarding isolationism, Russia has always been isolated from the West. The West has consistently sought to colonize Russia—whether for its vast natural resources or as a potential competitor in the Near and Far East, as well as in Asia. And, of course, for socialism. The Anglo-Saxons have always been Russia’s enemies.

As for China, I believe it poses an even greater threat to us than the Anglo-Saxons. One day, hundreds of millions of women, children, and the elderly could move into Siberia. How could we stop them? They are watching the struggle between Russia and the West and will eventually choose a side. But I doubt they’ll choose ours. On their maps, Siberia is already colored as part of China.

It’s hard to go into much detail about that period because everything was so secretive at the time. Discussing political topics, even with close friends, was dangerous—you could never be sure someone wouldn’t report you.

What I can say is that many people with little education but strong loyalty to socialism were drawn to positions of power. However, most of them didn’t really understand what socialism was. This lack of understanding was one of the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even the top leaders, the Politburo members, didn’t know what to do next and ended up steering the country into the “decaying capitalism” they had always criticized. Now we’re just following in the footsteps of that same capitalism.

I was born in 1930, in a remote village in the mountains of South Ossetia. Until a certain age, I had no idea which country I lived in, or whether the political system was good or bad. But I saw nature. I interacted with people, and I read literature that urged me to love my homeland. I read about patriots, those who gave their lives to save the country. Only much later did I begin to understand whether our rulers were leading us with good or bad politics. And my patriotism was not dependent on their politics.

As for Solzhenitsyn, he was a product of Khrushchev, who hated Stalin. Khrushchev had his reasons for that. At first, Solzhenitsyn wasn’t so aggressively opposed to the USSR, but when he realized the benefits of anti-Soviet sentiment, he became a fierce opponent. Yes, there were things to criticize about the USSR, including the camps. These things were new to all of us back then, and that’s why Solzhenitsyn became popular. But history cannot be viewed only from one side. Yes, there were the camps, but there was also the selfless, heroic labor of the Soviet people, who, in just 10 years, prepared the country to stand up against all of Europe’s military might.

Solzhenitsyn even called for America to drop nuclear bombs on the USSR. Meanwhile, I was a colonel in the Soviet Army. That’s how I evaluate Solzhenitsyn’s position. Thank you

But let me share something as someone who has lived through difficult times. The camps were not something to admire or glorify. They are painful chapters of our history that we must remember to avoid repeating. Those of us who lived through those years know the value of humanity and compassion. I hope that, with time, you’ll see in these stories not just images but also the lessons they leave us.