Andrei Rodionov
Biography
Andrey Rodionov is one of the most remarkable figures in contemporary Russian poetry, art, music and theatre. His career began in 2000 in Moscow as a performer on poetry slams, and in 2002 he was awarded the Russian Slam prize. He continues to be a leading figure in the development of the Russian slam poetry movement: in December 2010, as a curator of the SlovoNova poetry festival, he organised the first national Russian slam final in Perm.
Rodionov is fascinated with the description of fantastic incidents – encounters with extraterrestrials, or invented episodes from the lives of famous historical and literary characters. Rodionov’s poems are never cynical and always reflect a strong inclination to profound moral questions. While his earlier work has been characterised as ‘rap lyricism’, in recent poems he has developed a softer though still idiosyncratic style that imbues prosaic everyday life with significance. Rodionov is also interested in video-poetry, which, thanks to his efforts, has become one of the most fashionable trends in Russian poetry.
In recent years Rodionov has published a series of books, including Toys for the Outskirts (2007); the most recent New Dramaturgy (2010) is beautifully illustrated by the renowned comics artist Khikhus.
Books /selected/
Новая драматургия / New Dramaturgy (2010)
Игрушки для окраин / Toys for the Outskirts (2007)
Пельмени устрицы / Dumplings-Oysters (2004)
Добро пожаловать в Москву / Welcome to Moscow (2003)