by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

While serving as an officer in an artillery brigade in World War II, Alexander Solzhenitsyn was arrested for writing letters containing criticism of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and was sentenced to ten years in prison. After serving several years in various prisons, Solzhenitsyn was transferred to the Ekibastuz labor camp in 1950. He spent the last three years of his sentence there, then was released into exile in 1953. Following his release, Solzhenitsyn began writing fiction based on his experiences as a prisoner. His first novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, is set in a camp modeled on Ekibastuz and based on events from Solzhenitsyn's first winter there.

Events in History at the Time the Novel Takes Place

Political and economic policies under Stalin. In 1927, Soviet leader Josef Stalin felt...