When a great man passes from us, you tend to want to speak personally. I have written about Solzhenitsyn several times — in an “official” way. For example, here is a piece called “Solzhenitsyn, Still.” It is about his book Two Hundred Years Together, and about the man at large. And — I know Kathryn has already linked to this — here is a speech I gave on the 25th anniversary of “A World Split Apart.” That was Solzhenitsyn’s clarion Harvard commencement address, 1978. And, of course, today’s NRO editorial speaks for me, as for all of us.

But I’d like to say something personal too — tell you about a moment, and a memento. One wonderful weekend, we went up to the Solzhenitsyns’ exile home in Vermont. (The parents had moved back to Russia, but the kids still had it, and have it.) In the living room, Solzhenitsyn’s middle son, Ignat, walked up to me with what I can only describe as a sh**-eating grin. He had just returned from a trip to Russia. And he had something in his hand. It was a copy of Solzhenitsyn’s August 1914, inscribed, “To Jay Nordlinger, with warm regards, A. Solzh.” (That’s how Russians classically sign themselves, apparently — first initial, first syllable of last name.)

I am not a great one for material possessions. If my house were burning, I’m not sure I’d think to save anything. But I do like that book, I must say.

I have talked before about the influence Solzhenitsyn has had on so many. And I have cited, in particular, a woman I know: Youquin Wang, who chronicles the Cultural Revolution. I have, this week, a five-part series on the Beijing Olympics. (The first part is here.) A lot of us have Solzhenitsyn at our backs. He did so much, alone, against a gigantic, vicious state. The rest of us can at least contribute some crumbs, with all the freedom and comfort we enjoy.

So, forgive me for speaking personally about so world-historic a figure. I have inserted myself in a world story, in a way. But some combo of the personal and the “official” is sometimes nice. Another way of saying this is: He left a mark on the world, yes, but he left a mark on a lot of people individually, too.

An anti-Marxist can appreciate that, specially.