Mstislav Rostropovich: Virtuoso cellist

In 1978, Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists in history, was stripped of his Soviet citizenship for engaging in 'unpatriotic activity'.

Rostropovich’s fallout with the Soviet leadership was precipitated by his decision to let the dissident writer, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, stay in his house. Joe Schultz tells his story using BBC archive.

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(Photo: Rostropovich in 1965. Credit: Erich Auerbach via Getty Images)