- Siege of Leningrad in World War II through the eyes of a young child.
- An inexhaustible desire to live.
- 900 days of the Siege of Leningrad through poetry.
- A second wind of life after the war.
The author, Yefim Medvedovskiy, as a little boy from three to six years old, survived the entire 900 days of Siege of Leningrad. His subsistence was only possible through the self-sacrifice of his mother. He endured merciless starvation, the unheated walls amidst the cruel Russian winter, shelters from air raids, and endless lines just to obtain drinking water. These powerful impressions are imprinted in his memory for the rest of his life, ultimately transforming into emotional poetry with its depth, frankness and chiseled brevity.
In sirens I would music dream,
Like saws they'd cut air flying,
By phantom walls -- a silent scream,
A metronome replying.
The war did not extinguish the light in the poet's heart. The sources of his artistic inspiration are music that has attracted him since early childhood; poetry and the penetration into its secret vaults; nature "through the eyes of an artist", especially the sun and the sea; and his beloved wife Yuliya and daughter Natasha. The book is divided into cycles based on those different topics.
Overall, the poems of the peace period are imbued with lyricism, tenderness, the author's signature sense of humor, an imaginative perception of the world, and vivid metaphors. In addition to his mastery of poetry, he is attuned to the intonation and melodic beauty of language from also being a musician.
"Archives of Memories" features illustrations made by a team of talented artists in different states of the USA, Serbia and Kazakhstan. Unique photographs of the afterwar time from the author's family archive are used in the book. Translations made by Alexandra Palmer are as close to the originals as possible. Each of the translations preserve the same meaning, meter and stresses, as if you are looking into a mirror.
The English-speaking world will surely be excited to see these true gems of poetic beauty.
