Set the Hearts of Men on Fire with Your Word

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. More importantly, it carried far greater weight than the poetry of the West. From the days of the Tsar to the fall of Communism, Russian poetry was charged with a powerful and often fatal responsibility to convey the essential truth of the nation.