Ludmila Azarova

Ludmila Azarova (1935, Moscow, Russian SFSR – 2012, Riga, Republic of Latvia)  – poet, translator and editor.

She was born in Moscow. From 1945 lived in Latvia. In 1957 Ludmila Azarova graduated from the faculty of history and philology of the University of  Latvia and began to work in the editorial office of the newspaper “Rigas Balss” as translator from Latvian. In the 60-ies she was a special correspondent of a number of Moscow newspapers in Latvia, including the noted in intellectual community “Literaturnaya gazeta”. In 1974-1990 she worked as editor in the publishing office “Liesma”.

Ludmila Azarova published her poems in the 1960-ies, which touched the readers with their lyric, exciting mood and poetic language.

L.Azarova gained popularity not only thanks to her collections of poetry but also as a translator from Latvian to Russian, including the works of her spouse a famous Latvian poet Oyar Vacietis.

She translated also other famous Latvian poets: Jan Rainis, A. Chak, M. Kempe, I. Ziedonis.

At the end of the 1980-ies Ludmila Azarova got involved into social life of our republic, participated in the struggle for state independence of Latvia.

Ludmila Azarova was awarded the Order of  Three  Stars (1995), was elected an honourable member of  Latvian Academy of Sciences and other awards.