Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Date of Birth: July 18, 1932

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: April 1, 2017

Biography

Yevgeny Yevtushenko was a prominent Russian poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, and actor. Born in Zima Junction, Siberia, Yevtushenko rose to fame during the Khrushchev Thaw of the 1950s and became an influential voice in Soviet and post-Soviet literature. He is best known for his poem “Babi Yar,” which denounced the Soviet Union’s refusal to recognize the Nazi massacre of Jews at Babi Yar, Ukraine, during World War II. Throughout his career, Yevtushenko was a prolific writer, producing over 150 collections of poems and numerous works in other genres. He was also known for his charismatic public readings and his fearless critique of political and social issues, which often put him at odds with Soviet authorities.

5 Interesting Facts about Yevgeny Yevtushenko

1. Yevtushenko was the youngest member ever admitted to the Soviet Writers’ Union at the age of 23.

2. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times, although he never won.

3. His poem “Babi Yar” was set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich in his Symphony No. 13.

4. Yevtushenko also had a brief acting career, appearing in films such as “Soy Cuba” (1964) and “Eternal Call” (1973).

5. He spent considerable time teaching at American universities, including the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Yevgeny Yevtushenko

1. “In Russia, all the rails lead to the Gulag.”

2. “A poet’s autobiography is his poetry. Anything else is just a footnote.”

3. “He who is conceived in a cage yearns for the cage.”

4. “Poetry is like a bird, it ignores all frontiers.”

5. “Time has a way of demonstrating that the most stubborn are the most intelligent.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but his successful career in poetry, literature, and teaching, along with his international renown, suggests he achieved considerable financial success.

Children

Yevgeny Yevtushenko had five sons: Pyotr, Yevgeny, Dmitry, Alexander, and Anton. His children have pursued various careers, from academia to the arts.