The First EncounterFirst published in Russian in 1921 and never translated, Andrey Bely's long narrative poem considered to be one of the great achievements of Russian Modernism is translated to English here. A poet, critic, philosopher, and novelist, Bely was a leading figure among the Russian Symbolists, and The First Encounter is thought to be his greatest work in verse. The poem is autobiographical and reflects turn of the century Moscow with its mixture of