Pushkin Mosaic. Masters and Journeymen of Russian Literature

The work of a well-known Moscow writer, a researcher of Russian poetry of the 19th century, consists of biographical essays about the life and creativity of Ivan Kozlov, Peter Yershov, Karolina Pavlova, Lev Mei, Alexei Apukhtin, and Innokenty Annensky -... traditionally considered peripheral figures in Russian poetry. The author fundamentally disagrees with the division of poets into classics and secondary ones. He impartially and comprehensively evaluates the human and creative profiles of these poets, each of whom is unique and significant in their own way. Romances to the poems of Kozlov and Apukhtin are widely loved; Yershov's "The Little Humpbacked Horse" has been published in millions of copies; Rimsky-Korsakov's operas, which were based on the historical dramas of Mei, are constantly performed on theatrical stages; Karolina Pavlova is now regarded alongside Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva; the recently half-forgotten Annensky is now recognized as an outstanding poet of the Silver Age. The book is intended for a wide audience interested in Russian history and culture, who know and love poetry.