--- title: "14 Firsts Quotes By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" description: "14 Firsts quotes by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Plus more from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and more Firsts sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cutting_only-the-first-swath-cut-by-the-scythe-i_504403.jpg" --- > [Only the first swath cut by the scythe is difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/only-the-first-swath-cut-by-the-scythe-is-difficult/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cutting_only-the-first-swath-cut-by-the-scythe-i_504403.jpg) > [It is a brave man who is the first to sit down during a standing ovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-is-a-brave-man-who-is-the-first-to-sit-down-during-a-standing/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04c/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_brave_it-is-a-brave-man-who-is-the-first-to-si_1718900.jpg) > [To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s-4/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_believe_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_1178271.jpg) > [The secret is that when you've been pitched head first into hell you just write about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/the-secret-is-that-when-you-ve-been-pitched-head-first-into-hell-you/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/453/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_firsts_the-secret-is-that-when-you-ve-been-pitc_2423895.jpg) > [To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg) > [Scientific research? Only when not at the cost of ethics-and first of all, those of the researchers themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the-cost-of-ethics-and-first-of/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cost_scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the_1809147.jpg) > [To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good... Ideology - that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s-2/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_believe_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_673957.jpg) > [Our Twentieth Century has proved to be more cruel than preceding centuries, and the first fifty years have not erased all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-more-cruel-than-preceding/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_20th-century_our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-m_1387355.jpg) > [To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good, or else that it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_action_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_641077.jpg) > [There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-first-glance-a-strange-one-a/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_alliances_there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-fi_2154945.jpg) > [A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day. There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days like that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happy-day-there-were-three/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/628/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_clouds_a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happ_893816.jpg) > [It was only when I lay there on the rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-only-when-i-lay-there-on-the-rotting-prison-straw-that-i/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_astonishment_it-was-only-when-i-lay-there-on-the-rott_257060.jpg) > [Human nature is full of riddles; . . . one of those riddles is: how is it that people who have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/human-nature-is-full-of-riddles-one-of-those-riddles-is-how-is-it/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_body_human-nature-is-full-of-riddles-one-of-t_60828.jpg) > [In the camp, this meant committing my verse-many thousands of lines-to memory. To help me with this I improvised decimal counting beads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/in-the-camp-this-meant-committing-my-verse-many-thousands-of-lines-to/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/796/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_beads_in-the-camp-this-meant-committing-my-ver_2430421.jpg) ## Other authors on Firsts ## More by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“...you are strong only as long as you don't deprive people of everything . For a person you've taken everything from is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/you-are-strong-only-as-long-as-you-don-t-deprive-people-of-everything/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/woe-to-that-nation-whose-literature-is-cut-short-by-the-intrusion-of/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Literature becomes the living memory of a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/literature-becomes-the-living-memory-of-a-nation/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [If there were no executioners, there would be no executions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-there-were-no-executioners-there-would-be-no-executions/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Not everything has a name. Some things lead us into a realm beyond words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/not-everything-has-a-name-some-things-lead-us-into-a-realm-beyond/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [It is almost always impossible to evaluate at the time events which you have already experienced, and to understand their meaning with the guidance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-is-almost-always-impossible-to-evaluate-at-the-time-events-which/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Human nature is full of riddles; . . . one of those riddles is: how is it that people who have been crushed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/human-nature-is-full-of-riddles-one-of-those-riddles-is-how-is-it/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“It was astonishing that the pseudo wreckers, who knew perfectly well that they weren't wreckers, believed that military men and priests were being shaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-astonishing-that-the-pseudo-wreckers-who-knew-perfectly-well/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [When the whole discussion of "developing a national idea" hastily began in post-Soviet Russia, I tried to pour cold water on it with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/when-the-whole-discussion-of-developing-a-national-idea-hastily-began/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“It was granted me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-granted-me-to-carry-away-from-my-prison-years-on-my-bent-back/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Call no day happy 'til it is done; call no man happy til he is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/call-no-day-happy-til-it-is-done-call-no-man-happy-til-he-is-dead/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Whenever the tissue of life is woven of legalistic relationships, this creates an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes a person's noblest impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/whenever-the-tissue-of-life-is-woven-of-legalistic-relationships-this/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [The same old caveman feeling-greed, envy, violence, and mutual hate, which along the way assumed respectable pseudonyms like class struggle, racial struggle, mass struggle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/the-same-old-caveman-feeling-greed-envy-violence-and-mutual-hate/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Surrender one hair, and you'll end up beardless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/surrender-one-hair-and-you-ll-end-up-beardless/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/#itemlist", "name": "14 Firsts Quotes By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "numberOfItems": 14, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only the first swath cut by the scythe is difficult.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": 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"position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Scientific research? Only when not at the cost of ethics-and first of all, those of the researchers themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the-cost-of-ethics-and-first-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cost_scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the_1809147.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cost_scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the_1809147.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_cost_scientific-research-only-when-not-at-the_1809147.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Scientific research? 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That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others' eyes, so that he won't hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_believe_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_673957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_believe_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_673957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_believe_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_673957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good... Ideology - that is what…” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our Twentieth Century has proved to be more cruel than preceding centuries, and the first fifty years have not erased all its horrors. Our world is rent asunder by those same old cave-age emotions of greed, envy, lack of control, mutual hostility which have picked up in passing respectable pseudonyms like class struggle, radical conflict, struggle of the masses, trade-union disputes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-more-cruel-than-preceding/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_20th-century_our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-m_1387355.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_20th-century_our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-m_1387355.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f45/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_20th-century_our-twentieth-century-has-proved-to-be-m_1387355.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our Twentieth Century has proved to be more cruel than preceding centuries, and the first fifty years have…” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good, or else that it's a well-considered act in conformity with natural law. Fortunately, it is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-all-believe-that-what-he-s/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_action_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_641077.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_action_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_641077.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_action_to-do-evil-a-human-being-must-first-of-a_641077.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good, or else that it's a…” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think about it, in fact, one which is well grounded and easy to understand. This is the alliance between our Communist leaders and your capitalists. This alliance is not new. ... We observe continuous and steady support by the businessmen of the West of the Soviet Communist leaders.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-first-glance-a-strange-one-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_alliances_there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-fi_2154945.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_alliances_there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-fi_2154945.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_alliances_there-also-exists-another-alliance-at-fi_2154945.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think…” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day. There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days like that in his stretch. From the first clang of the rail to the last clang of the rail. Three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days. The three extra days were for leap years.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happy-day-there-were-three/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/628/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_clouds_a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happ_893816.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/628/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_clouds_a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happ_893816.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/628/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_clouds_a-day-without-a-dark-cloud-almost-a-happ_893816.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day. 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To help me with this I improvised decimal counting beads and, in transit prisons, broke up matchsticks and used the fragments as tallies. As I approached the end of my sentences I grew more confident of my powers of memory, and began writing down and memorizing prose-dialogue at first, but then, bit by bit, whole densely written passages. My memory found room for them! It worked. 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