Exemplifying an intrinsic bond between Russian modernism and postmodernism, the poetry of Viktor Krivulin presents him as an outstanding craftsman who easily combines different styles, meters, and images from Russian and European verse. His work as a poet, cultural critic, and political activist awaits reevaluation, particularly in the context of the history of Russian alternative culture in the 1970s and 1980s. Krivulin saw himself as a St. Petersburg poet and prophet in the style of Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin--as someone who could foresee the development of liberal ideas and civilized societal norms in Russia. Despite his premature passing in 2001, Krivulin's voice will be heard in his country for many years to come because of his writings, which call for a return of human values in postmodern times.

Viktor Borisovich Krivulin was born on 4 July 1944 in the village of Kadievka near Krasnodon, Ukraine, where his father served as an army...