Anna Akhmatova

Anna Akhmatova was born near Odessa in 1889, but lived most of her life in Saint Petersburg. As a consequence of her decision to remain in Russia after the October Revolution she faced much personal hardship and a protracted poetic silence, but was also able to create Requiem, her great affirmation of solidarity with the victims of the Stalinist purges. She died in Moscow in 1966.