The term "national idea" is an unclear one. One might think of it as a widely shared understanding among a people as to the desired way of life in their country, an idea that holds sway over the population. A unifying concept like that can be useful, but should never be created artificially or imposed top-down by the powers-that-be.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynYou should rejoice that you're in prison. Here you have time to think about your soul.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynThe task must be to banish from mankind's thought the idea that anybody has the right to use force against righteousness, against justice, against mutual agreements.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynThe perception of the West as mostly a "knight of democracy" has been replaced with the disappointed belief that pragmatism, often cynical and selfish, lies at the core of Western policies. For many Russians it was a grave disillusion, a crushing of ideals.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynThus, literature, together with language, preserves and protects a nation's soul.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn