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Misha: Hi, Mum.
Mother: How are you doing? You sound upset. Misha: You're right. My English friends asked me
about Russian writers and I couldn't remember many names. It's not very good, is it?
Mother: Well, I'm not very proud of you. Russian
literature is one of the greatest in the world. Nowadays you can get so many books that I couldn't read when I was a girl. Misha: What are you talking about, Mum? What couldn't you read when you were a girl?
Mother: When I was born, we lived in the Soviet Union. A lot of books were banned. Misha: Did that happen in our country too?
Mother: Oh, yes. People who read those books got into trouble if
somebody saw them. But in the Eighties perestroika started and a lot of banned books were published. Then we had a chance to read so many interesting books and so much beautiful poetry. I fell in love with the Silver Age poets. Misha: What age?
Mother: Let me tell you. When Pushkin, Lermontov and many other
talented 19th century poets wrote their poems, it was the Golden Age of Russian literature. But there was also the Silver Age at the beginning of the 20th century. Anna Akhmatova, Alexander Block, Marina Tsvetaeva, Sergey Esenin, Nikolay Gumilyov, Osip Mandelshtam, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Boris Pasternak are the most famous poets of that time. Some of their works weren't known to Russian readers, although people all round the world knew and loved them. Boris Pasternak, for example, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Misha: But why were their books banned? What was wrong with them?
Mother: There was nothing wrong with the books. The problem was with the writers and their ideas. They were brilliant, well educated and free-spirited. They loved Russia very much, but they didn't always like things that happened in their country. When they spoke openly about it, they got into trouble. Some of them died in labour camps, but their spirit was never broken. Misha: Did that make them famous?
Mother: Oh, no! First of all, they were very talented poets, believe me. When I feel sad or need some advice, I open the books by Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva and find help and advice. They are my favourite poets.
Misha: Thanks, Mum. That sounds good. I'm not sure that poetry is my cup of tea, but I'll try to read some.