Poetic Obituaries: Sergei Mikhalkov, who has died aged 96,

was a Soviet children's author, poet and writer of satirical fables. He is best known for writing three different versions of the Soviet and Russian national anthems to suit the diverse tastes of Josef Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev and Vladimir Putin. But it is with his verses for children--loved by many generations of Soviet boys and girls--that he achieved his most enduring success.

from The Guardian: Sergei Mikhalkov

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