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Arts & Life

Locals Want To Keep Russian Poet Out Of Prison & Make His Work Known

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Rachel Otwell

Published November 12, 2014 at 11:13 AM CST

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has fallen out of the media spotlight here in the US to some extent, but not for one local man named Mike Mheidze. He grew up in the former Soviet Union and has lived in Springfield for 20 years now. He's fighting to keep a Russian poet named Alexander Byvshev out of prison - the poems are considered by some to be extremist and he has a hearing set for later this month.

We spoke with Mheidze as well as a UIS professor named Ethan Lewis who is helping him translate the poetry into English.

Listen to Ethan Lewis read translated poems by Byvshev...

ethanreadingpoems.mp3

Ethan Lewis reads translated poems by Byvshev

CLICK HERE to find a petition in support of Byvshev.