The Colors and Shadows of Bella Akhmadulina. The First Complete Biography

Bella Akhmadulina is a poet who embellished the second half of the 20th century in Russia. Izabella, Bella, Belka, Bella Akhatovna... She lived a dramatic life, the last decade of which turned out to be tragic. Despite her vast experience in public performances, Akhmadulina was shy and reserved. Once, having briefly met Boris Pasternak in Peredelkino, Bella, "from low dizziness," did not dare to accept the invitation to visit. However, a few years later, she became one of the family in the house of Boris Leonidovich. She did not agree when called a "sixties person," despised the greedy, disliked jokes, and could put anyone in their place if they behaved liberally. Her best friends were not those with whom she filled stadiums at twenty-five but the disapproved by the authorities like Voinovich, Aksyonov, Vladimov, and Okudzhava. Akhmadulina's human rights petitions were distinguished by elegance — she particularly valued style. A letter in defense of academician Sakharov was even called a poem by "Voice of America." This book is an unembellished biography of the poet. It is based not only on poetry and prose published in considerable volumes but also on previously unknown archival documents tracing the family history up to the fourth generation, letters, diaries, unpublished poems found by Marina Zavada and Yuri Kulikov, candid conversations with dozens of people from Bella's inner circle. At its core — truth. In short, "The Colors and Shadows of Bella Akhmadulina."