In honor of his birthday, the following letter was sent, on behalf of the people of Cavendish, to the people of Russia, where it will be read at the conference being held in Moscow.
November 13, 2018
To the People of Russia:
For 18 of the 20 years he was exiled from Russia, Aleksandr
Solzhenitsyn and his family lived with us in Cavendish, Vermont. The
Solzhenitsyns were then, as they are now, good neighbors, respected and valued
members of our community.
While we are sad when residents choose to leave, we were
glad that Solzhenitsyn was able to return to his “motherland,” as he predicted
he would at our 1977 Cavendish Town Meeting. No matter how much our countryside
may have reminded him of Russia, and allowed him the time to write, it would never
compensate for the country he cared so deeply about.
Solzhenitsyn’s values were a good match for our Yankee way
of life-hard work and the ability to speak freely and openly, yet also
respectful of others and their privacy. While he learned from us how grass-roots
democracy works, we in turn were reminded of the importance of providing
sanctuary to those in need and the value of having courage and strong beliefs.
Upon his departure, Solzhenitsyn left the town not only
autographed copies of his books, but more importantly, a homestead which allows
his children to remain an integral and important part of our community. The
lessons he instilled in his sons are shared with us as we work together to
resolve the thorny issues of 21st-century life.
Every town needs a secret, such as the one we kept: “No
directions to the Solzhenitsyn’s home,” as it united us for a common good. We
still do not give out directions, but we do welcome visitors from around the
world.
On this the 100th birthday of Solzhenitsyn, the people of Cavendish extend our best
wishes to the people of his homeland.
On behalf of the people of Cavendish,
Margo Caulfield
Director, Cavendish Historical Society
Brendan McNamara
Cavendish Town Manager
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