The message reads, in part:
“A great writer has passed away. He was a true citizen and patriot, an honest man with a great sense of dignity, who had everyone’s trust and deep respect. He served his nation and its people selflessly and with devotion, taking Russia’s fate very personally.
It is with a feeling of great warmth that I recall my meetings with Mr Rasputin, his amazing sincerity and openness, his staunch devotion to his ideas and principles.
Valentin Rasputin is no longer among us, but his books remain. They are filled with love for his homeland and faith in man’s lofty mission and in the triumph of spiritual and moral values.”
The writer passed away in Moscow at the age of 77.