Question 1

What is Two Hundred Years Together by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn about?

Accepted Answer

Two Hundred Years Together is a comprehensive two-volume historical work examining the relationship between Russians and Jews from 1772 to 1995. The first volume covers the period from the First Partition of Poland through the Russian Revolution, while the second volume addresses the post-revolutionary era until the 1970s Jewish emigration. Solzhenitsyn explores pogroms, civil liberties restrictions, revolutionary participation, and Soviet-era dynamics, advocating for mutual understanding and historical reconciliation between Russians and Jews.

Question 2

Who wrote Two Hundred Years Together and why?

Accepted Answer

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author of *The Gulag Archipelago*, wrote Two Hundred Years Together to examine the intertwined destinies of Russians and Jews throughout modern history. Solzhenitsyn aimed to promote understanding and reconciliation by addressing controversial questions about shared responsibility in revolutionary violence and Soviet repression. He emphasized that both Russians and Jews must acknowledge their historical roles without resorting to collective guilt, seeking "to extend a handshake of understanding – for all our future".

Question 3

Is Two Hundred Years Together by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn worth reading?

Accepted Answer

Two Hundred Years Together is worth reading for those seeking a complex, albeit controversial, perspective on Russian-Jewish history from a significant 20th-century writer. The book provides detailed chronological coverage of the Pale of Settlement, pogroms, and revolutionary dynamics with extensive primary source citations. However, readers should approach it critically, as historians have accused Solzhenitsyn of selective quotations, factual errors, and antisemitic rhetoric. The work has never been officially translated into English, limiting accessibility.

Question 4

Who should read Two Hundred Years Together?

Accepted Answer

Two Hundred Years Together suits advanced readers interested in Russian history, Jewish diaspora studies, and the complex dynamics of ethnic relations in imperial and Soviet Russia. This book is particularly valuable for historians, scholars, and those familiar with Solzhenitsyn's other works who can critically evaluate his controversial claims. Readers should have strong historical background knowledge and the ability to cross-reference sources, as critics have identified numerous methodological concerns including biased exposition and manipulated quotations.

Question 5

What are the main criticisms of Two Hundred Years Together?

Accepted Answer

Two Hundred Years Together has received overwhelmingly negative reception from historians and literary scholars. Critics accuse Solzhenitsyn of antisemitism, selective quotations, factual errors, and relying on discredited antisemitic pseudo-historians for statistical data about Jewish participation in Soviet government. Historians challenge his claims about Jewish wartime cowardice, which contradict documented frontline casualties and bravery decorations. Cultural historian Elisa Kriza argues that Solzhenitsyn's treatment of Russian Jews as perpetual foreigners demonstrates antisemitic rhetoric throughout the work.

Question 6

What does Solzhenitsyn say about Jewish participation in the Russian Revolution?

Accepted Answer

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn emphatically denies that Jews were responsible for the 1905 and 1917 revolutions in Two Hundred Years Together. He explicitly rejects conspiracy theories and mocks those who believe Russia's decline resulted from a "malicious Jewish plot," stating that "Russian failings" determined the nation's historical decline. However, Solzhenitsyn does argue that all parties, including Jews, must acknowledge their "renegades" who collaborated with the totalitarian Soviet regime, emphasizing collective responsibility rather than collective guilt.

Question 7

How does Two Hundred Years Together address Russian pogroms?

Accepted Answer

Two Hundred Years Together argues that anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire were spontaneous acts of violence organized "from below" rather than government-sponsored events, with limited government culpability in the Pale of Settlement. Solzhenitsyn criticizes the "scandalous weakness" and "unpardonable inaction" of Tsarist authorities for failing to protect Jewish lives and property. He acknowledges that post-revolutionary pogroms by Red Army elements killed up to 200,000 Jews, inflicting devastating spiritual and psychological damage on survivors.

Question 8

What is Solzhenitsyn's message about collective responsibility in Two Hundred Years Together?

Accepted Answer

Solzhenitsyn distinguishes between collective responsibility and collective guilt throughout Two Hundred Years Together. He argues that both Russians and Jews must acknowledge their historical roles without blaming entire ethnic groups for the actions of individuals. Solzhenitsyn emphasizes responsibility "to oneself, to one's conscience, and before God" rather than answering before other peoples. His approach renews his philosophy of "repentance and self-limitation" in national life, calling for mutual empathy and understanding between Russians and Jews.

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Key takeaways

The Untold Story of Russians and Jews: A 200-Year Relationship

Imperial Beginnings: A Progressive Start with Growing Tensions

Revolution's Promise and Betrayal: Jews in Soviet Power

The Holocaust and Soviet Silence: A Unique Jewish Tragedy

Stalin's Final Years: The Doctors' Plot and State Antisemitism

The Great Exodus: Leaving the Soviet Empire

A Shared Future Through Honest Reflection

Two Hundred Years Together by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Summary

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More like this

Key takeaways

The Untold Story of Russians and Jews: A 200-Year Relationship

Imperial Beginnings: A Progressive Start with Growing Tensions

Revolution's Promise and Betrayal: Jews in Soviet Power

The Holocaust and Soviet Silence: A Unique Jewish Tragedy

Stalin's Final Years: The Doctors' Plot and State Antisemitism

The Great Exodus: Leaving the Soviet Empire

A Shared Future Through Honest Reflection

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