And Poetry Awakens in Me

Martin Sixsmith explores the heart and soul of Russia's poetry.

Effectively a creation of the 18th century, poetry was vital in creating a natural language and form of expression as modern Russia forged a separate identity from the old world of the Slavonic church. Pushkin was its first hero and remains the archetype of the brilliant but doomed poet whose quest for the essential truth of his nation and people carries with it fatal consequences.