Wanderer on Divine Path

 by Guzel Strelkova & Elena Kuzmina*

Abhay Kumar is very young - he was born in 1980 in Nalanda district in Bihar. He graduated from Delhi University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University and since 2003 is in the Indian diplomatic service (Indian Foreign Service). He has a successful career: in 2005 he started as Third Secretary at the commercial department of the Embassy of India in Moscow, and two years later was sent to work as Consul in St. Petersburg. Undoubtedly, Abhay's fluent Russian and his knowledge of Russian history and Russian literature which he knows well and loves, helped him to get his new assignment. While working in Moscow, he graduated from the Center for International Education (Centre of International education) Moscow State University.

He is a successful poet, novelist and painter. It can be said that Moscow has helped him become a writer and poet: it was here he completed his first novel, “River Valley to Silicon Valley- Story of Three Generations of an Indian Family ( Russian translation - 2008), which was released in 2007. His first book of poems  “Enigmatic Love: Love poems from fairy-tale city of Moscow” published in 2009 is dedicated to Moscow. The growing worldwide concern over environmental issues prompted the poet to release electronic edition of another poetry collection, "Fallen Leaves of Autumn" in 2010. In addition, the Indian poet’s  poems included in anthologies of poetry edited by Michelle Afford ("Natural Spirit ", 2006) and Anna Cook (" A Moment of Déjà Vu ", 2007), were published by British publishing Forward Press. His work has also been published in Russian journals, in particular, in the "Literary St. Petersburg", "Women's St. Petersburg" etc.

As for painting, critics & experts confirm the words of Abhay Kumar: "Petersburg turned me into a painter," and are not surprised that St. Petersburg  made diplomat, poet and writer, also an artist. According to Andrei Khlobystin, art historian, "Abhay Kumar completely fits into “St. Petersburg titanism” going against narrow professional specialization; if one is in a high, balanced state, one can easily engage in different types of creative activities. " However, the artistic hobbies of Abhay only contribute to his writing talents.

Cycle of poems "Candling the Light" was created earlier - in 2005-2007, in that- the poet's personal philosophy, the spiritual world of a man who is looking for Cosmos in the depths of his own heart and ask questions from the Universe, to know himself and the meaning of human existence.