Biography

Yevgeni Yevtushenko (Evgeni Evtushenko) is a Russian poet, writer, actor, and film director who is best known for his poem 'Babi Yar' and the eponymous symphony made in collaboration with composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

He was born Yevgeni Aleksandrovich Gangnus (later he took his mother's last name, Evtushenko) on July 18, 1933 in Zima, Irkutsk region, Siberia, Russia. His maternal grandfather, named Ermolai Naumovich Evtushenko, was a Red Army officer during the Russian Revolution and the Civil War. His father, named Aleksandr Rudolfovich Gangnus, was a geologist, as well as his mother, named Zinaida Ermolaevna Evtushenko; who later became a singer. He accompanied his father on geological expeditions to Kazakhstan in 1948, and to Altai, Siberia, in 1950.

Young Yevtushenko wrote his first verses and humorous songs "chastushki" while living in Zima, Siberia. After the Second World War Yevtushenko moved to Moscow. From 1951-1954 he studied at the Gorky Institute of Literature in Moscow, from which he dropped out. In 1952 he joined the Union of Soviet Writers after publication of his first collection of poetry. His early poem 'So mnoyu chto-to proiskhodit' (Someting is happening to me) became a very popular song, in performance by actor-songwriter Aleksandr Dolsky. In 1955 Yevtushenko wrote a poem about the Soviet borders being an obstacle in his life. He was banned from traveling, but gained wide popularity with the Russian public. His first important publication was the poem 'Stantsiya Zima' (Zima Junction 1956).

His success grew after the 1956 speech by Nikita Khrushchev denouncing Joseph Stalin. Khrushchev declared a cultural "Thaw" that allowed some freedom of expression. Yevtushenko's powerful poem "Nasledniki Stalina" (The Heirs of Stalin) claimed that the atmosphere of Stalinism was still dominating the country. It was initially published in the communist paper 'Pravda' in 1961, and was immediately censored. Yevtushenko became one of the most famous poets of the 50's and 60's in the Soviet Union. He was part of the 60's generation, which included such writers as Vasiliy Aksyonov, Andrei Voznesensky, Bella Akhmadulina, Robert Rozhdestvenskiy; as well as actors Andrey Mironov, Aleksandr Zbruev, Natalya Fateeva, and many others. As a close associate of writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and as a member of the 60's generation, Yevtushenko made an important contribution to promote progress, openness, human rights and freedoms in the former Soviet Union.

He was banned from traveling outside the Soviet Union in the 1960s. At that time the KGB Chairman Vladimir Semichastny and the next KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov reported to the Communist Politburo on the "Anti-Soviet activity of poet Yevtushenko", but he was not intimidated. In 1965, he joined Anna Akhmatova, Korney Ivanovich Chukovskiy, Jean-Paul Sartre and others and co-signed the letter of protest against the unfair trial of Joseph Brodsky. He also co-signed the letter against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. His poems covered a wide range of political issues from "Stalinism" to anti-war and patriotic themes, often causing a controversial perception of his eclectic style and views. Several of his lyrical poems were set to music and became popular Russian songs. In 1989 Yevtushenko was elected as a representative in the Soviet Parliament, where he was a member of the pro-democratic group supporting Mikhail Gorbachev.

Yevtushenko is known across the world for his powerful poem "Babi Yar", written in 1961. He protested the Soviet Union's refusal to recognize Babi Yar, a ravine in Kiev; as a site where Nazis committed a mass murder of 33,000 Jews in September of 1941. Yevtushenko and Dmitri Shostakovich worked together on the famous Symphony No. 13 titled "Babi Yar", a vocal setting of poems by Yevtushenko. It was first performed in Moscow on December 18, 1962 under the baton of Kirill Kondrashin. Yevtushenko and Shostakovich toured many countries with the performances of "Babi Yar", and made several recordings of the Symphony No. 13. The site of Babi Yar is now an important WWII memorial, that was built with the support of many contributors. This was partly the result of creative cooperation and outstanding artistry of both Yevtushenko and Shostakovich.

He was filmed as himself during the 50s as a performing poet-actor. Yevtushenko contributed lyrics to several Soviet films and contributed to the script of Soy Cuba (1964), a Soviet propaganda film. His acting career began with the leading role in 'Vzlyot (1979) by director Savva Kulish, where he played the leading role as Russian rocket scientist Tsiolkovsky. Yevtyshenko also made two films as a writer/director. His film 'Detsky Sad' (aka.. Kindergarten, 1983) and his last film, 'Pokhorony Stalina' (aka.. Stalin's Funeral, 1990) are dealing with life in the Soviet Union. He received numerous Russian and International awards for his literary works.

Yevgeni Yevtushenko has been teaching Russian literature at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa for several years. He also teaches seminars on literature and gives public performances of his poetry. Yevtushenko tours Russia annually with public performances during the summer months. He lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has a home in Moscow, Russia.