Yevgeny Evtushenko

Yevgeny Evtushenko is a contemporary Russian poet and writer, who enjoyed massive popularity during Khrushchev´s thaw not only for his literary works, but for being a spokesman for the post-Stalin generation of writers and artists.

His most famous work Baby Yar criticizes both the Nazis and the Soviets for anti-Semitism. His critics, however, maintain that he only dared to criticize that which was “approved” by the Communist Party.

Evtushenko currently splits his life between Russia and the US, where he lectures on poetry and cinema.

­And thus this happens to me now – t­he translation of the poem, along with the translator's commentary, is provided by RT partner, the Cardinal Points Literary Journal.