Madan Lal Madhu

Madan Lal Madhu (1925–2014) was an Indian poet and translator, known for his translations of Russian classics into Hindi. He was one of the founders of Hindustani Samaj, an Indian community in Moscow and a recipient of the Medal of Pushkin and the Order of Friendship of the former Soviet Union.

Biography Madhu, born in 1925, secured his master's degree before starting his career as an academic, working as a teacher for 10 years, during which time he started writing plays, poems and literary criticisms. Besides, he translated the works of Premchand into Russian language and published two volumes of poems, Ek Do Teen and Aise Ladke Bhi Hote Hain, several plays and literary articles. He was one of the founders of the Hindustani Samaj, an Indo-Russian cultural forum based in Moscow and served as its president for over 30 years.

The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 1991. A recipient of the Medal of Pushkin, he was awarded him the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation in 2001. He died on 7 July 2014, aged 88, in the Russian capital, following a cardiac arrest. He was a divorcee and had a son and a daughter. Hindustani Samaj, has instituted an annual literary competition, Padma Shri Madan Lal Madhu Translation competition and the Embassy of India in Moscow has named a corner of its library as Padma Shri Madan Lal Madhu corner, in his honour.