I Saw It

Focusing on Ilya Selvinsky's unique perspective, this book uncovers the experiences of the first Jewish-Russian poet to address the Holocaust in occupied Soviet territories. Through meticulous archival and field research, Shrayer reveals Selvinsky's harrowing eyewitness accounts of Nazi atrocities in 1942 and the consequences he faced for his poetry as Stalin's regime silenced such narratives. The work includes over 60 rare photographs and translations of Selvinsky's key poems, highlighting both the historical significance and personal cost of his literary contributions.