"Suffering is our capital, our natural resource. Not oil or gas – but suffering. It is the only thing we are able to produce consistently. I'm always looking for the answer: why doesn't our suffering convert into freedom? Is it truly all in vain? Chaadayev was right: Russia is a country without memory, it's a space of total amnesia, a virgin consciousness for criticism and reflection."

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

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Imported from EN Wikiquote

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Svetlana_Alexievich