Marina Temkina papers, 1960s-2020s
Collection context
- Extent:
- 27.5 linear feet (22 rsc)
- Language:
- Russian, English
- Scope and content:
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Correspondence, diaries, notebooks, personal documents, printed materials, photographs, manuscripts of prose and poetry, original art works, oral histories and interviews with the Holocaust survivors collected during Marina Temkin's life in the United States.
- Biographical / historical:
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Marina Temkina is a Russian emigre poet and psychologist based in New York. She began publishing in emigre periodicals in 1981, then she freelanced as a radio-journalist at The Voice of America, the New York unit led by Iraida Vandellos, and Liberty Broadcasting in the unit lead by Sergei Dovlatov.
Marina Temkina met Joseph Brodsky in the early 1980s and for a short time he became her mentor. Until the end of his life he was her first reader.
Having worked in the refugee resettlement agencies between 1980 and 1994 (HIAS, ICEM, NYANA), Marina Temkina moved to the field of Holocaust studies and worked at several oral history projects, among them the Shoah Foundation (1995-98). She was an interviewer, educational facilitator and coder of interviews. As a result of this experience, she co-founded a non-profit Archive for Jewish Immigrant Culture focused on oral history of the Russian-speaking community. She was elected a Chair and tried to develop this project into the organization between 1997-2007. Simultaneously Marina Temkina kept several academic affiliation.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Material is unprocessed. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
Single reproductions may be made for research purposes. It is the responsibility of the user to secure permission for publication or use from the appropriate copyright holder.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu