ABSTRACT

Born: June 23,1889; Bol'shoy Fontan, near Odessa, Ukraine, Russian Empire

Died: March 5, 1966; Domodedovo, near Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Area of Achievement: Literature Contribution: Akhmatova was one of the most ac-

claimed and revered poets of twentieth century Russia, struggling throughout her life to express with intimacy and insight the plight of a woman in an adversive society. For long periods she was forbidden to publish her works, but by the end of her life her constant poetic inspiration of others had earned for her the International Taormina Poetry Prize (Italy, 1964) and an honorary degree from the University of Oxford (England, 1965).