About
Gennady Aygi (1934-2006) was a Chuvash poet and translator, a major figure in Russian and European poetry. Born in a village in Chuvashia, he initially wrote in Chuvash, then, following Boris Pasternak's advice, adopted Russian from 1960. Expelled from the Gorky Literary Institute in 1956 for work deemed hostile to Socialist Realism, he worked as an archivist at the Mayakovsky Museum and became a key figure in the Moscow artistic underground. His Russian collections were published abroad before being allowed in Russia in 1991. Internationally recognized, he received numerous awards, including the Petrarch Prize and the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings. He was named National Poet of Chuvashia in 1994.
* 1934-08-21 — † 2006-02-21
Major works
- In the Name of the Fathers (1958)poetry collection
- Music for the Whole Life (1962)poetry collection
- Illumination (1971)poetry collection
- Child-And-Rose (2003)poetry collection
- Field-Russia (2007)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1956Expelled from the Gorky Literary Institute for writings deemed hostile to Socialist Realism.
- 1994Named National Poet of Chuvashia.
- 2000First recipient of the Boris Pasternak Prize.
Themes
naturememoryexistenceChuvash cultureavant-garde
Sources: poets.org · svp.org.mk · ndbooks.com