Vasilii Vasil'evich Kamensky is best known for his work in 1913-1914 with the Futurist group "Hylaea," but his creative output spans four decades. Kamensky was involved in significant literary events throughout his career and knew many people who were central to the Russian avant-garde. His zhelezobetonnye poemy (ferroconcrete poems) were among the boldest and most distinctive experiments in Russian Futurism, and he freely adapted other Futurist techniques to his own impressionist style. Although his greatest contribution to literature was most likely his discovery of Velimir Khlebnikov, Kamensky was a creative poet in his own right and an active participant in the artistic life of Russia in the first third of the twentieth century. His deep love of life and adventure resonates throughout his poetry, even after he conformed to the principles of Socialist Realism.

Kamensky was born on 5 April 1884 in Perm' district. The story of his birth on...