Arseny Alexandrovich Tarkovsky Arseny Alexandrovich Tarkovsky June 25 [O.S. June 12] 1907– May 27, 1989 ) was a prominent Russian poet and translator. His poems appeared in the films The Mirror and Stalker, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, his son.


World War Two broke into the poet’s life making him volunteer to the front, first as a war correspondent in the army newspaper Battle Alarm, then as a soldier in the battles near Moscow, and later in the Western, Bryansk, the 2nd Byelorussian and 1st Baltic fronts. After being badly wounded and having one leg amputated Tarkovsky had to be discharged. By that time he was already a captain.

Tarkovsky was born in Elisavetgrad to the family of a Narodnik on June 24 N.S. 1907. By 1924 he had moved to Moscow, and from 1924-1925 he worked for a newspaper for railroad workers called "Gudok."

Tarkovsky managed a section that was to be filled by an editorial written in verse, that was supposedly easier for the readers than the ordinary prosaic editorials. Each day, Tarkovsky would either write such poetical editorials himself, or find somebody else to do it. Needless to say, the poetry of these editorials usually was not of a very good quality.[

Tarkovsky was born in Elisavetgrad to the family of a Narodnik on June 24 N.S. 1907. By 1924 he had moved to Moscow, and from 1924-1925 he worked for a newspaper for railroad workers called "Gudok."

Tarkovsky managed a section that was to be filled by an editorial written in verse, that was supposedly easier for the readers than the ordinary prosaic editorials. Each day, Tarkovsky would either write such poetical editorials himself, or find somebody else to do it. Needless to say, the poetry of these editorials usually was not of a very good quality.


In 1925-1929 he studied in a state university to be a professional writer of fiction. At that time he translated poetry from Turkmen, Georgian, Armenian and Arabic. During World War II he worked in the Army Newspaper Boevaya Trevoga (War Alarm).

In his lifetime Arseny Tarkovsky was mainly known as a splendid translator of Abu'l-Ala-Al-Ma'arri, Nezami, Magtymguly, Kemine, Sayat-Nova, Vazha-Pshavela, Adam Mickiewicz, Mollanepes, Grigol Orbeliani and many other poets.

He was a friend of Marina Tsvetaeva, and is sometimes referred to as the "Last Love of Marina Tsvetaeva". Being younger than Anna Akhmatova and Marina Tsvetayeva he imbibed the poetic traditions of the Silver Age generation and interpreted them through the prism of his personality in his creativity.