Yevtushenko

Never liked this poet: never liked his poetry or his personal.  I felt that he performed for audiences: he was able to play to Soviet sensibilities and to Western sensibilities.  I never felt that he was principled.  He used to go to developing countries during the Cold War and share the views of the Soviet Union (which were close to the views of people there), and then travel to the West and share views that were in tune with Western public opinion.  Some of his poetry are quite lousy, in fact.