Andrei Voznesensky

Andrei Andreyevich Voznesensky (, 12 May 1933 – 1 June 2010) was a Soviet and Russian poet and writer who had been referred to by Robert Lowell as "one of the greatest living poets in any language." He was one of the "Children of the '60s," a new wave of iconic Soviet intellectuals led by the Khrushchev Thaw. He performed poetry readings in front of sold-out stadiums around the world, He is believed to have endured another stroke in early 2010. Other senior Russian officials and cultural entities also offered many tributes.

Career Voznesensky's style was considered different from his contemporaries in the Soviet Union.

In the 1960s, during the so-called Thaw, Voznesensky frequently travelled abroad: to France, Germany, Italy, the United States and other countries. The popularity of Voznesensky, Yevgeny Yevtushenko and Bella Akhmadulina was marked by their performances in front of the adoring crowds numbering in the thousands at stadiums, in concert halls and universities. In doing so, he served as "a sort of unofficial Kremlin cultural envoy", according to The New York Times.

Notable works

The Triangular Pear (1962) First Ice Antiworlds (1964) Stained-glass Master Violoncello Oakleaf Videoms and Fortune Telling by the Book Arrow in the Wall (1986) I am Goya A Shallow Paradise Dogalypse The Parabolic Ballad The Antiworlds (1964) Glance (Vzglyad) My Friend's Light Her Story Russian-American Romance Abuses and Awards A Ballad (Thesis for a Doctor's Degree) Who Are You? Rubber Souls Fate Self-Portrait The Song Modern Nature Milion alykh roz (with music by Raimonds Pauls) Story Under Full Sail; A Story of Love and Loss Someone is Beating a Woman Dogalypse. San Francisco Poetry Reading City Lights Books, The Pocket Poets series: Number 29 (in English) The Shadow of the Sound (1970) Achilles' Heart (1966) Lonjumeau (1963) Oza (1964)

Awards and nominations In 1978 Voznesensky was awarded the USSR State Prize.

Legacy A minor planet 3723 Voznesenskij, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh in 1976, is named after him.

English critic John Bayley described his feelings after hearing a Voznesensky recitation of "I Am Goya":

Honours and awards Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"; 2nd class (5 May 2008) – for outstanding achievements in the development of literature and many years of creative activity 3rd class (15 January 2004) – for outstanding contribution to the development of national literature Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1983)

Voznesensky is an honorary member of ten academies around the world, including the (1993), the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, the Académie Goncourt and the European Academy of Poetry Golden Badge of Honour "Public Recognition" (2003)

Translations Andrei Voznesensky. Antiworlds and "The Fifth Ace". Ed. by Patricia Blake and Max Hayward. Bilingual edition. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books; Doubleday & Co., 1967.