Sergey Pantsirev

Sergey Pantsirev (Russian: Сергей Николаевич Панцирев; born July 30, 1969) is a Russian poet and translator.

Early life and education

Pantsirev was born in Moscow and studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, specializing in information technology. Before fully dedicating himself to literature, he worked as an IT manager receiving the Russian National Internet Award in 2002.

Literary career

Pantsirev debuted as a poet in 1994 with his collection ''Reflections'' (''Рефлексия''). His subsequent works, including ''Present Perfect'' (''Настоящее время'', 2004) and ''Short Waves'' (''Короткие волны'', 2021), have received critical acclaim both in his native Russia and in Hungary, where he resided. His poetry has been translated into English, Hungarian, Polish and German. In addition to his original poems, Pantsirev has translated the works of contemporary Hungarian poets, including György Mandics and Judit Vihar, into Russian. He has also translated from Bulgarian and English, contributed to anthologies such as ''Century After Century'' and ''Joseph Brodsky in the Eyes of Contemporaries''.

Pantsirev was a part of Hungarian delegation at the UNESCO World Poetry Day Festival in Warsaw in 2022. In 2025 he organized an international poetry festival in Budapest. He was a member of the Moscow Writers' Union and joined the Hungarian PEN Club in 2014.

Literary themes and style

Pantsirev's poetry often explores themes of identity, temporality, and the complexities of human emotion. His work blends introspective lyricism with an acute sense of modernity. Critics have noted his ability to juxtapose personal experiences with universal concerns, employing concise imagery and rhythmic fluidity.

His style has been described by the critics as a blend of traditional Russian poetic forms with modernist experimentation, reflecting influences from both Russian literary heritage and worldwide poetic movements, from sonnets and haikus to free verse.

In an interview, he described himself as "a conservative poet," emphasizing that " n a poem,the form is no less important than the narrative; the two must be in perfect balance."

Views and personal life

A critic of Vladimir Putin, Pantsirev was a participant of the 2011–2013 Russian protests and emigrated after Russian occupation of Crimea. He has lived in Hungary since 2014. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he maintained a pro-Ukrainian stance.

Pantsirev has no public social media accounts.

His wife, Anna Vladi Pantsireva, is an artist of East Asian ink wash painting.

Selected works

* ''Reflections'' («Рефлексия», 1994)
* ''Present Perfect'' («Настоящее время», 2004)
* ''Short Waves'' (''Rövid hullámok'', 2021)
* ''Second Life'' («Вторая жизнь», 2025)

Recognition

In 2024, Pantsirev was awarded a prize by a Russian émigré poetry magazine, ''Emigrantskaya Lira'', published in Belgium.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pantsirev, Sergey
1969 births
Living people
Russian male poets
Russian male writers
20th-century Russian poets
21st-century Russian poets
Haiku poets
Writers from Moscow
Writers from Budapest
English–Russian translators
20th-century Russian translators
21st-century Russian translators
Translators from English
Translators from Hungarian
Translators from Bulgarian
Translators to Russian
Russian emigrants to Hungary
Moscow Power Engineering Institute alumni