Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: Soviet Propagandist?

Hell hath no furry, like Solzhenitsyn's widow. A lesson that Putin just learned the hard way.

Someone on Team Putin thought it would be a great idea for the prime minister to meet with Natalya Solzhenitsyna near the anniversary of the author's death. The Kremlin loves all of the critical things Solzhenitsyn had to say about democracy while he was alive, there's just that little part about the Gulag that makes everyone uneasy.

Putin thought he could handle it:

-Putin: "Remembering this, I would like to return today to the issue we have discussed with Alexander Isayevich – the propaganda of his work.."

-Natalya Solzhenitsyna: [Interupting] "I would rather say 'studying' than 'propaganda.'"

-Putin: "...the 'learning' of his literary heritage."

Propaganda, really Vlad? We're going there, now? Some have tried to spin the word, saying that "propaganda" has a positive meaning in the mind of ex-KGB agent Putin, and he didn't mean to offend. But that's pretty weak sauce.

Go get him, Natalya!