Contemporary Russian poet Boris Ryzhy who lived in Yekaterinenburg (Sverdlovsk) in the Ural region is seen as the voice of the final Soviet generation and referred to as the “Last Soviet Poet” or the “Poet of Perestroika”. He is extremely popular among young Russians, but he also seems to unite young and old through his amazingly clear and melodic poetry.
Born into an intellectual family, he became a hooligan poet and a boxing champion in his teens. His poetry combines harsh reality with tenderness. Although he was loved and respected by many, at the age of 26 Boris Ryzhy committed suicide, following in the footsteps of many great Russian artists of the past.
He won the most prestigious Russian poetry award and wrote more than 1000 poems in his short life. The popularity of Boris Ryzhy continues to grow. His outstanding poetry deserves further attention and recognition from scholars, students and poetry readers throughout the world.