Кузьминский, Константин Константинович

Poet, writer, visual artist

Born Leningrad, 16 April 1940

Died Lordville (New York), 2 May 2015

Kuzminsky, poet and book artist, studied at the faculty of Biology of the Leningrad University. He was expelled en studied at the Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography. Again he was expelled. He worked at a distillery, the Mariinskii theatre, a worker at the Hermitage and as a laborer in other professions. Since the mid-1960s he took active part in the unofficial literary life of Leningrad and compiled a number of of samizdat books of poetry. In 1975 he emigrated to the USA. His independent and progressive character made him an iconic leader of nonconformist Russian poetry and art. He was also a collector and founder of the social club and exhibition space Podval (the Basement) where he showcased his own books and  books of others. His main publication is 'The Blue Lagoon Anthology of Russian Modern Poetry' in nine volumes, published from 1981 to 1986. In 1989 he was co-founder and contributor to the Koja Magazine and supporter of the experimental publications of Magazinnik.

1977

1980

1983-1986

Anthology

1984

1985

1986

1994