Gennady Aygi

Gennady Aygi (1934–2006), one of the most original of modern Russian poets, was born in the village of Shaymurzino, in the Chuvash Autonomous Republic, some 450 miles east of Moscow. Although he wrote mainly in Russian, he eventually became the national poet of Chuvashia, having published volumes of Chuvash poetry, translations from French, Polish, Russian and other languages, and an Anthology of Chuvash Poetry. From the 1960s onwards his Russian-language poetry was published and acclaimed throughout the world, being translated into more than 20 languages. Living mainly in Moscow, he was married four times and left seven children.