Evtushenko

This piece is a true to life depiction of Yevtushenko, Russia's best-known living poet, an iconic figure since the early nineteen sixties. Decades ago, Yevtushenko's controversial comments and daring poems put him at odds with the Kremlin. But while poets such as the late Joseph Brodsky were persecuted and exiled, Yevtushenko enjoyed a life of privilege. In truth, "Yevtushenko's politics have always been a complicated mixture of bravery, populism, and vulgar accommodation with dictatorship.” In her sculpture, Ella Kogan artfully captured the poet’s poignant collision between collaborator with the Soviet regime and fiery dissident, and the resultant emotional vacuum.