Born Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Gangnus in 1933, Yevtushenko (he took has mother’s name) is perhaps the best known Russian poet of the mid- and late 20th century. This recording, the second of two volumes in the Folkways collection, features the reading in English of 21 poems, including his most famous poem “Babiyy Yar,” a denunciation of the Soviet distortion of the historic facts surrounding the Nazi massacre of Jews in Ukraine in September 1941. The poems are read by stage actor Milt Commons. The complete English text of the poems is included in the liner notes.

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