Arseny Alexandrovich Tarkovsky (Russian: Арсе́ний Алекса́ндрович Тарко́вский, June 25 [O.S. June 12] 1907, Elisavetgrad – May 27, 1989, Moscow) was a prominent Soviet poet and translator. He is considered one of the great twentieth century Russian poets. He was also the father of influential film director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Biography

Tarkovsky was born on June twenty-fifth N.S. 1907 in Elisavetgrad, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (now Kirovohrad, Ukraine) to the family of a bank clerk, Narodnik, and amateur actor of Polish origin Aleksandr Tarkovsky (Aleksander Tarkowski) and his wife Maria Rachkovskaya.

In 1921, Tarkovsky and his friends published a poem which contained an acrostic about Lenin. They were arrested, and sent to Nikolayev for execution. Tarkovsky was the only one that managed to escape.

By 1924 Tarkovsky moved to Moscow, and from 1924-1925 he worked for a newspaper for railroad workers called "Gudok", where he managed an editorial section written in verse.

In 1925-1929 he studied literature at a university college in Moscow. At that time he translated poetry from Turkmen, Georgian, Armenian and Arabic.

During World War II he volunteered as a war-correspondent at the Army Newspaper Boevaya Trevoga (War Alarm). He was wounded in action in 1943. The leg wound he received caused gaseous gangrene, and Tarkovsky had to undergo six gradual amputations.

Arseny Tarkovsky was mainly known as a translator of Abu'l-Ala-Al-Ma'arri, Nizami, Magtymguly, Kemine, Sayat-Nova, Vazha-Pshavela, Adam Mickiewicz, Mollanepes, Grigol Orbeliani and many other poets.

Tarkovsky's first collection of poetry, Before snow, was published in 1962.

He lived mostly in Moscow and Peredelkino and died on May 27, 1989 in Moscow. In 1989 he was posthumously awarded the USSR State Prize.

Books

Tarkovsky's grave in the Peredelkino cemetery

• Перед снегом - Before snow (1962);
• Земле земное - To Earth Its Own (1966);
• Вестник - Messenger (1969);
• Стихотворения - Poems (1974);
• Зимний день - Winter Day (1980);
• Избранное - Selected works (1982);
• Стихи разных лет - Poems of different years (1983) - compilation of early verse;
• От юности до старости - From Youth to Old Age(1987)
• Благословенный Свет - The Blessed Light (1993 -posthumously).