Anri Volokhonsky, Russian poet, Died at 81

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Anri Girshevich Volokhonsky was born on March 19, 1936, in Leningrad and died on April 8, 2017.

He was a Russian poet and translator.

He graduated from university with a degree in chemistry.

During 1973, Anri left to Israel and then moved to Germany in 1985.

Sometime between 1985 and 1995 he had lived in Munich, where he worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and in 1995 he moved to Tübingen.

Anri’s sister, Larissa Volokhonsky, eventually became a translator.

He started writing poetry in the 1950s.

Volokhonsky published several books of poetry, some of them together with Alexei Khvostenko.

Some of the poetry is ironic and is considered to be descended from Oberiu.

His most famous piece may have been lyrics on “Сanzona by Francesco da Milano”, written by Vladimir Vavilov, the song called “The City of Gold” (Russian: Город Золотой).

That song, then became a hit in the 1980s when it was performed by Aquarium for the soundtrack for the film Assa.

He also worked with Leonid Fyodorov, the frontman of the Auktyon, and wrote texts for his albums.

Volokhonsky also translated Catullus and fragments of Finnegans Wake by James Joyce into Russian

Anri died in Rexingen, where he had lived since 2004.

Anri Volokhonsky passed away at 81 years old.