Introduction

This Introduction does several things. To begin with, an overview of Brodsky’s position in Russian culture is offered, both in terms of the influences on him, his literary origins, and his status and legacy. Such a re-evaluation seems especially appropriate now, for two main reasons. Firstly, more than a quarter of a century has passed since his death in 1996, and a great deal has changed in the world, and this is most certainly the case for the country of his birth; these changes have, of course, been especially evident since the events of February 2022 and beyond, as will be reflected in the several discussions of Brodsky’s poem on Ukrainian independence. Secondly, arguably the pre-eminent researcher and proponent of Brodsky, Professor Valentina Polukhina died in 2022, and her departure from the scene also allows us to take stock of what Carol Ueland’s chapter terms the ‘Brodsky industry’. Part of this narrative will be a kind of ‘literature review’ that establishes the main approaches so far taken towards an analysis of his work, and of his literary life. Following from this will be an overview of the work of the person to whose work and memory this book is dedicated, Valentina Polukhina. In turn, this work will be contextualized by an account of her life. Finally, the Introduction will summarize the main aspects of the remaining chapters.