Why did Dean Reed accuse Solzhenitsyn of lying against the Soviet Union?
This world-famous story originates in 1970's: that's when the American Dean Reed delivered an open letter Solzhenitsynaccusing him of making false statements against Soviet Union. It is simply amazing how relevant this statement is today ... Considering that the appeal was written half a century ago! And yes: none of the writers of that era caused such serious damage to the reputation of our country as Solzhenitsyn. Thanks to him, all of Europe represented Russia as one big barracks ... It was his work that made a significant contribution to the collapse of the Union. But ... were in the capitalist America and such people who managed to see the whole point even through the prism of lies.
Why was Solzhenitsyn against the USSR?
Alexander Solzhenitsyn known as a Russian writer, playwright, public and political figure ... In the spring 1963 year he lost his favor Khrushchev, and with the coming to power of Brezhnev, he could no longer legally publish and speak on the territory of the Soviet Union. One of his most famous and scandalous creations was "The Gulag Archipelago": completed in secret from the authorities, the book was published in the West in 1973 year. A little later, its author was arrested and deprived of citizenship. So, Solzhenitsyn forcibly expelled from the country ...
Already in the early seventies, his works were published almost in 30 countries of the world! After being expelled from the Union of Soviet Writers, he began to openly and sharply criticize the authorities ... And yes: his point of view was not shared by an American named Dean Reed.
Open letter
Dean Reed was an American actor, singer, director and public figure. He lived most of his life in South America and East Germany. At the same time, he was very fond of Soviet Union… Proclaimed "Red Elvis", he was the best-selling Western performer in the socialist countries! A huge number of his records left the assembly line of the Melodiya company ... His songs often topped the hit parades of the socialist countries, while the performer openly declared his lifelong loyalty United States! But due to the fact that he often condemned the government of his country, Western media saw him as a communist spy.
Before writing the infamous letter, reed went to jail twice. However, in 1971 year, his appeal was still written ... In it, the American accused the Russian writer of lying to Soviet Union… Here is a small excerpt:
“You denounced the Soviet Union as a “deeply sick society that suffered from the law.” You say that the whole atmosphere of the Soviet Union is filled with hatred.” But you must be talking about my homeland!”
reed also noted that America was "the most cruel society of all." A rather strange statement from someone who fiercely called himself a patriot ... However, this is exactly what the legendary lines say:
“It was America that became the most cruel society of all that the history of mankind has ever known ...”
The letter ends with a truly militant paragraph:
“... The principles that underlie your state are healthy, clean and fair. The government of my homeland has the only goal - to maintain the status quo throughout the world ... "
Despite all the words and catchy phrases given in the letter, until the end of his days reed professed his love for America, a clear evidence of which were his songs ... At the same time, in 1986 year, he shocked Americans in a CBS television interview: the most shocking for the people USA was what the artist compared Reagan with Stalin… After that, many people turned away from him, even his own relatives. There were, of course, those who accused him of betrayal. And most likely death. reed was far from an accident...
The end of the Dean Reed story...
Shortly after this interview Dean Reed was found dead: his body was found in a lake near his house in East Germanywhere he lived with his third wife. The police report states that his death was an accident. Some insist that he took his own life; others suggest that it was a premeditated murder, possibly committed CIA. What actually happened to the public figure remains a mystery...
