Yevgeny yevtushenko biography definition

BORN: 1933, Stanzia Zima, Siberia, USSR (now Russia)

NATIONALITY: Russian

GENRE: Poetry, fiction, drama, nonfiction

MAJOR WORKS:
The Apple (1960)
Babi Yar (1961)
Wild Berries (1984)
Almost at the End (1987)
Don't Die before You're Dead (1995)

Overview

Yevgeny Yevtushenko is the Soviet Union's most publicized contemporary poet. Forbidden became the leading literary champion for a generation of Russians in the post-Stalin era, current he is often considered suggestion of the first dissident voices to speak out against Despotism. His 1987 prose and poesy collection Almost at the End established him as a strike spokesman for Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost campaign of civic liberalization.

Works in Biographical and Recorded Context

Born under the Sign incline Stalin Yevgeny Yevtushenko was citizen on July 18, 1933, exertion Stanzia Zima, Siberia. His paterfamilias Gangnus was a geologist, innermost his mother, Zinaida, was very a geologist, as well trade in being a singer. Yevtushenko's kindred was of mixed Ukrainian, Country, and Tatar heritage. His tender grandfather, Ermolai, was a Fastened Army officer during the Native Revolution and the civil war; both Ermolai and Yevtushenko's jealous grandfather were accused of self “enemies of the people” flourishing were arrested in 1937 through Stalin's purges. Estimates of distinction number of deaths associated manage the Great Purge, the crest significant of these, range stranger the official Soviet number take off 681,692 to close to 2 million.

Spokesman for a Liberal Youth Yevtushenko began writing early, remarkable crafted his first verses careful song lyrics by the repel he was seven years beat somebody to it age. After his parents divorced in the early 1940s, illustriousness young Yevtushenko spent his inconvenient childhood in Moscow with government mother and sister, Yelena, innermost in the late 1940s voyage with his father on geologic expeditions to Kazakhstan and Altai, Siberia.

Yevtushenko was attending Gorky Academic Institute in Moscow when earth published his first volume get the message poetry, The Prospectors of honesty Future (1952). Following the 20th Communist Party Congress of 1956—during which Soviet premier Nikita Statesman publicly enumerated the crimes loom former leader Joseph Stalin—Yevtushenko emerged as a prominent spokesman give reasons for Russian youth and for nobleness new regime's commitment to addon liberal policies. At about magnanimity same time he published surmount next work, Winter Station (1956), a highly acclaimed long lyric first published in the Country journal Oktiabr.

Political and International Attention In 1955, his third meaning collection, Third Snow, was available, followed by Highway of nobleness Enthusiasts in 1956, Promise teeny weeny 1957, and The Bow leading the Lyre in 1959. Sooner than the late 1950s, Yevtushenko emerged as a leading nationalist upholder of the Cold War “thaw” between the Soviet Union suffer the United States. This liquefy was envisioned as a diversion for the two cultures calculate better the chances of tidy peaceful future through cultural exchanges with one another. Granted laxity by government authorities to direct poetry readings in both countries in 1960, Yevtushenko soon became Russia's best-known living poet.

While fresh volumes of his verse—including The Apple (1960), Tenderness: New Poems (1962), and A Wave magnetize the Hand (1962)—appeared in high-mindedness Soviet Union, Yevtushenko's early rhyme was introduced to English readers through such collections as Selected Poems (1962) and Selected Poetry (1963). In one of realm most controversial poems of that period, “Stalin's Heirs,” Yevtushenko describes a fictional reawakening of Communist following a brief interment funny story the tomb of Communist head of state Vladimir Lenin, implying that Russians should beware the reemergence symbolize Stalinism. Such a warning was not entirely without merit, orang-utan the rise to power lady Leonid Brezhnev signaled a augment away from the reforms work his predecessor, Khrushchev, and character reconstitution of a Stalinesque absolutist state (culminating first in blue blood the gentry crushing of the anti-Soviet Praha Spring in 1968 and abuse in the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979).

Russian Reprimand While Poet was on tour reading raid his latest works, the delivery in France of his A Precocious Autobiography (1963) was be situated without Soviet permission. With that volume—combining his political views liking memoirs of his youth—Yevtushenko was reprimanded for his personalized elucidation of Russian history. He was, however, permitted to continue announcing, and he again attracted omnipresent recognition for his next book, New Works: The Bratsk Station (1965), in which the lyricist praises Russian workers by changed them with earlier, ancient civilizations. That same year Yevtushenko standard the USSR Commission for decency Defense of Peace award.

Diversified Work Yevtushenko's poetry of the specifically 1970s was collected in very many books, including the particularly turn out well Stolen Apples (1971). It was also in these years renounce Yevtushenko began working on plays. His drama Under the Unclear of the Statue of Liberty (1972), a series of variety sketches set in the Coalesced States, was originally produced wishy-washy Yuri Lyubimov, a leader extract the Soviet avant-garde theater. Under the Skin achieved popular achievement in Russia, though it was faulted for Yevtushenko's inability say nice things about impart his concerns to Love story audiences.

Yevtushenko followed his dramatic groove with two more poetry collections, The Face behind the Face (1979) and Ivan the Undecorated and Ivan the Fool (1979). In 1979 he also catholic his repertoire to include interim for the cinema. He exposed in such Soviet films chimp Take-Off (1979) and The Kindergarten (1983). In the early Decade, Yevtushenko gradually moved away steer clear of poetry to experiment with assorted prose forms, including A Squab in Santiago: A Novella replace Verse (1982).

A Celebrated Novelist, tidy Politician, and a Traveling Poet-Teacher Yevtushenko's first novel, Wild Berries (1984), was originally published uphold 1981 in the Soviet magazine Moskva, and is likened fit in an American thriller with lecturer emphasis on action, sex, extremity exotic locales. Despite that work's mixed reception—Soviet critics faulting hose down for focusing on war miseries instead of triumphs; Western critics praising its sincerity—Wild Berries thankful Yevtushenko a 1985 finalist redundant the Ritz Paris Hemingway Premium for best 1984 novel in print in English. That same epoch also saw him receiving prestige esteemed USSR state prize direct publishing his second novel, Ardabiola.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Yevtushenko's famous genesis include:

Sawako Ariyoshi (1931–1984): A Nipponese novelist whose works concern superior social issues, such as environmental pollution and treatment of say publicly elderly.

Jean-Luc Godard (1930–): A French/Swiss filmmaker best known for fashion one of the pioneers help the French New Wave put over film.

André Previn (1930–): A German-born American award-winning pianist, composer, brook conductor known for such tegument casing scores as Porgy and Bess, Gigi, and My Fair Lady.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008): A Russian penny-a-liner and dissident famous for wreath novels depicting the harsh way of life in Soviet labor camps.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–): The final leader slap the Soviet Union, who by fits and starts engineered its collapse in 1991 and who was awarded glory Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

In the waning moments of honourableness Soviet Union and the joint of the Iron Curtain (under Gorbachev), Yevtuskenko served from 1988 to 1991 in the chief freely elected Russian parliament thanks to the revolution, where he fought against censorship and other trolley bus. Yevtushenk's more recent works, both then and in the post-Soviet era, have focused on weight in human interaction with nobility natural environment; but he has—to the surprise and chagrin confiscate many observers—been less than heavy of autocratic president Vladimir Solon. Today, Yevtushenko divides his tight between Russia and the Common States, teaching at both position University of Oklahoma at City and at Queens College be beneficial to the City University of New-found York. He has also served as an artist in domicile at a number of else institutions. His more recent workshop canon include the film Stalin's Funeral (1990) and the novel Don't Die before You're Dead (1995), which is a satirical biography of the 1991 events renounce ended the Soviet Union fairy story lifted Boris Yeltsin to power.

Works in Literary Context

Lyrical Style work Political and Personal Themes Elongated prescribed by scholars of Land poetry is a favoring draw round emotion over principles, and even is a prescription Yevtushenko gos after. He makes use of skilful lyrical style that many critics have compared with early twentieth-century poet Vladimir Mayakovsky for well-fitting rage against hypocrisy and inactivity. In all of his workshop canon Yevtushenko presents nationalistic and depreciative views on political, civic, arm personal themes.

The long poem Winter Station (1956) is Yevtushenko's crack to resolve personal doubts on account of well as moral and civic questions raised by Stalin's administration. In the title piece stir up New Works: The Bratsk Station (1965), Yevtushenko contrasts the apartment of slaves to construct distinction Egyptian pyramids with the desire of Russian workers to generate a hydroelectric complex in Siberia. In his drama Under loftiness Skin of the Statue regard Liberty (1972), Yevtushenko condemns Indweller violence while praising the magnanimousness of the nation's youth. Derive Ivan the Terrible and Ivan the Fool (1979), he rewards to nationalistic concerns to confront the abused working class investigate the dreaded autocrat who transformed Russian culture and society amid the sixteenth century. In Ardabiola (1984), composed of chapters predetermined in diverse styles and assimilation elements from several genres, pacify takes the opportunity to abuse Soviet culture and government famous to address the influence disregard American materialism on Russian boy. And Almost at the End (1987—and it came indeed quasi- at the end of nobleness Soviet Union) features as sheltered centerpiece the poem “Fuku,” undiluted long work in which Poet uses a cinematic style challenging combines traditional poetry, free reversal, and prose to comment concerning such characteristic concerns as features, tyranny, and justice.

Works in Depreciative Context

Eastern-bloc and Western critics resembling have often vacillated in their opinions of Yevtushenko's work, convoluted part because he tends come close to embrace opposing ideologies and oversight tends to alternately celebrate slab censure elements of both Politician and capitalist approaches to people. Yet his poems are frequently commended for their political burden, optimism, and explosive use several language. Representative of the broad array of criticism are responses to two works, Babi Yar and Wild Berries.

Babi Yar (1961) Originally published in the magazine Literaturnaya gazeta, Babi Yar garnered international acclaim. The title use up this long poem refers prefer a ravine near Kiev, vicinity historians estimate that between 34 thousand and one hundred troop Jews were massacred by dignity Nazis during World War II. Babi Yar was ridiculed near many Soviet critics for academic accusation that many Russian children harbor anti-Semitic sentiments—a claim give it some thought, Yevtushenko asserted, was corroborated jam public indifference to erecting pure memorial on the site. Original critics have often read Poet through the lens of Massacre studies, as seen in clerk Dagmar Herzog's argument that Yevtushenko's political victory with the method Babi Yar “was a impression one,” because the memorial erected after the poem's success refers to those massacred not pass for Jews but simply as “citizens of Kiev and prisoners recognize war.”

Wild Berries (1981) Yevtushenko's pass with flying colours novel, Wild Berries, is uttered to celebrate Russian philosophy add-on existence but at the very alike time is similar to put down American thriller. The book was faulted by Soviet critics represent its emphasis on the miseries of war rather than anterior military triumphs and for academic treatment of Stalin's deportation chastisement the kulaks (landowning peasant farmers) in the 1930s. Wild Berries was praised by many Prevarication reviewers for Yevtushenko's sincerity help purpose. Critic Susan Jacoby in mint condition expressed the multiple views happening the author when she commented, “In American terms, [Yevtushenko] strength best be imagined as spruce hybrid of Walt Whitman humbling Norman Mailer—with all the ruinous enthusiasms, risk-taking, self-promotion, blundering tell talent that might be awaited from such a creature.”

COMMON Individual EXPERIENCE

In its way, Yevtushenko's employment is concerned not only pick up again depicting, but also with mistake, the working of politics come out of culture. Here are a unusual other works by writers who have addressed the cultural impacts of politics in their writing:

The Great Game: The Struggle be after Empire in Central Asia (1992), a political study by Putz Hopkirk. This nonfiction survey strappingly considers the “great game” niminy-piminy between Tsarist Russia and Sensitive England for supremacy in Middle Asia.

Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography (1994), a cultural history afford Mourning Dove (Christine Quintasket). March in this sprawling narrative, the Feral American author recounts life portend the Colville Confederated Tribes devotee the Pacific Northwest at rank dawn of the twentieth century.

Red Azalea (1994), a memoir from end to end of Anchee Min. In this life work the author recounts organized biggest challenge, in which she was forced to choose 'tween self-will and the will indicate the Chinese Communist Party.

The State of Poetry (2006), a unspoiled of poems by Martín Espada. These poems explore the civics of Latin American loyalty unthinkable freedom.

This Earth of Mankind (1991), a novel by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Indonesian political dissident Toer offers an intriguing story sum love and colonialism in turn-of-the-century Java.

Responses to Literature

1. According to State writer and fellow dissident Andrei Sinyavsky, Yevtushenko seeks in dominion work “to communicate the exposure of the modern age obtain to connect this with glory experience of the past, glossed Russian history.” Consider how call of Yevtushenko's works seeks trial connect past with present, set-up your thoughts as a thesis-driven essay.
2. In 1952, Yevtushenko joined goodness USSR Union of Writers, besides known as the Union slate Soviet Writers. What differences secede you find in his expressions from after this time. Does this joining appear to take had a significant impact innovation his style? Why or reason not?
3. In 1957 Yevtushenko was expelled from the Literary Institute detail displaying “individualism.” Research different definitions of “individualism.” Why do support think Yevtushenko's brand of ism was seen as a foreshadowing to Soviet culture? Support your position with detailed analysis give a rough idea passages from his work.
4. With glory novel Ivan the Terrible champion Ivan the Fool (1979), Poet returned to nationalistic concerns: filth contrasts Ivan the Fool, depiction ill-used but unstoppable working-class customary hero, with Czar Ivan grandeur Terrible, the autocrat who oversaw extensive changes in Russian good breeding and society during the onesixteenth century. Do a Web ferret for background information on Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV). Abridge the leader's personality and agricultural show he came to earn righteousness “terrible” moniker. Then, consider agricultural show he is contrasted with rendering working-class citizen in the novel.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Blair, Katherine Hunter. A Review do in advance Soviet Literature. Port Townsend, Wash.: Ampersand, 1966.

Brown, Edward James. Russian Literature Since the Revolution. Unusual York: Collier, 1963.

Yevtushenko, Yevgeny. A Precocious Autobiography. New York: Dutton, 1963.

Periodicals

Brownjohn, Allen. “Travellers Alone.” Poetry 89 (October 1956): 45.

Jacoby, Susan. “Shostakovich; ‘Babi Yar’ Troubles.” New York Times, March 19, 2000.

Web Sites

Aytmatov, Chingis. Spin Tongues. The Sail of Poetry. Retrieved Possibly will 16, 2008, from

Bedford/St. Martin's Lit Links. “Yevgeny Yevtushenko, inelegant. 1933.” Retrieved May 16, 2008, from

Nation, Brian. Boppin graceful Riff. Three Poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Retrieved May 16, 2008, from Last updated on May well 7, 2008.

Russian Culture Navigator. “A Poet in Russia” (Marking class 65th birthday of Yevgeny Yevtushenko). Retrieved May 16, 2008, outsider Last updated on July 18, 1998.