15. Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
In 1971, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, renowned Soviet dissident and Nobel laureate, survived a mysterious poisoning likely orchestrated by the KGB. Solzhenitsyn’s brush with death underscored the extreme dangers faced by those who challenge authoritarian regimes. His survival, like that of other courageous critics worldwide, became a rallying point for human rights advocates and symbolized the enduring power—and peril—of speaking truth to power.
