Our Researcher Presents Book about Soviet-Era Dissident Poet in Moscow

Dr. Andrey Zhurbin from Astrakhan State University has presented the book “About Leonid Gubanov”, which he edited and compiled, at the State Literature Museum in Moscow.

As Dr. Zhurbin remarks, Leonid Gubanov (1946–1983), one of Russia’s most outstanding poets of the 20th century, was persecuted by the KGB and detained at lunatic asylums; his poems were not published in the Soviet Union. He perished at the age of 37 (just like Alexander Pushkin), just a couple of years before the perestroika began. That is why any information about him is essential for the history of the Russian literature.

Dr. Zhurbin was the first to defend a thesis related to Leonid Gubanov’s artistic works. In 2007, he began to develop a web site to commemorate this poet.

The presented collection of reminiscences was being complied during 11 years. Over that time, Dr. Zhurbin prepared a scientific base for an academic edition of Gubanov’s poems; he also published a monograph about him. He also established contacts with writers, artists, poets, film directors, bards, and sculptors living in Moscow – those who knew Leonid Gubanov and could tell something about him.

All in all, the presented book includes over 40 texts, documents, photos, and drawings, which make up a worthy base to make up a biography of Leonid Gubanov.