Dueling Russian Poets Keep Putin in Power

Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- In Russia, a poet is more than apoet. The strong feelings revealed in a recent national argumentover two bards -- Yevgeny Yevtushenko, long emigrated to theU.S., and Joseph Brodsky, who died in 1996 -- might even helpexplain how the regime of President Vladimir Putin is able tomaintain its grip on power.

In late October, government-run Channel One televisiondeparted from its usual fare of cheap entertainment and fawningPutin coverage to air something truly surprising: an in-depth,three-part interview with the 80-year-old Yevtushenko. Theprogram attracted between 12.6 percent and 17.2 percent of alltelevision viewers, according to the RIA Novosti news service --a very high share for the late-night time slot in which theinterview was shown.