Andrey Dementyev

Andrey Dmitriyevich Dementyev (Russian: Андре́й Дми́триевич Деме́нтьев, IPA, July 16, 1928 in Tver – June 26, 2018 in Moscow) was a Russian and Soviet poet, a laureate of Lenin’s Young Communist League Award (1981), a USSR State Prize (1985), and Bunin Prize(2007).

Andrei Dementyev was considered one of the outstanding Russian and Soviet poets of the late 20th century. The range of his works is rich. It includes a novel about Mikhail Kalinin (August from Revel, 1970), as well as lyrics of many popular songs of the Soviet epoch (Alyonushka, Swans’ Fidelity, Father’s Home, A Ballade about the Mother, etc.) which were performed by Eugene Martynov.

In October 1993, he signed the Letter of Forty-Two.

In Dementyev’s works the ideals of romanticism, humanism, and compassion are asserted. The characteristic of his poems is a sharp feeling of patriotism, rejection of the negative traits of the present, bitter irony, lyricism, optimism, enjoying simple things, loving the nature.

Andrey Dementyev died in Moscow after a long illness shortly before his 90th birthday. His grandson is Russian actor Andrei Dementiev.